THE FEAR by Charlie Higson-REVIEW

THE FEAR is the third book in the Enemy series. The reading order is THE ENEMY, THE DEAD, and THE FEAR. The timeline of the novels is a little out of whack, but each novel includes a new main cast of characters so it doesn't matter too much. THE DEAD actually takes place before THE ENEMY and THE FEAR starts after THE DEAD and catches up and passes THE ENEMY.

In this horrifying world, children are battling for their lives against their mothers, fathers, and older siblings. (In THE ENEMY, the reader is introduced to the sickness that has spread through London and affected everyone 15-yrs-old and over, turning them into crazed, diseased killers that feast on the young children left behind.)

This is a frightening world where the children have to fight for survival every minute of the day. In THE FEAR we follow DogNut and Courtney as they travel across London in hopes of finding friends they were separated from a year ago. As they navigate the dangerous streets of London, DogNut and Courtney fight the Mothers and Fathers hiding around every corner.

THE FEAR is filled with death, blood, and violence. It isn't for the faint of heart. Charlie Higson writes one cringe-worthy scene after another.

This one was a tough one to read - so brutal and sad. I can't wait to read the next one, THE SACRIFICE.

NERVE by Jeanne Ryan-REVIEW

BOOK DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:

A high-stakes online game of dares turns deadly
When Vee is picked to be a player in NERVE, an anonymous game of dares broadcast live online, she discovers that the game knows her. They tempt her with prizes taken from her ThisIsMe page and team her up with the perfect boy, sizzling-hot Ian. At first it’s exhilarating–Vee and Ian’s fans cheer them on to riskier dares with higher stakes. But the game takes a twisted turn when they’re directed to a secret location with five other players for the Grand Prize round. Suddenly they’re playing all or nothing, with their lives on the line. Just how far will Vee go before she loses NERVE?

MY THOUGHTS:

NERVE is an thrill-a-minute. As a reader I totally felt the discomfort and nervousness Vee feels during the dares she decides to complete for the game. Introducing Ian as her dare partner is a stroke of genius because he just adds to the thrill, but in a much different way. What makes this book so good is the fact that everyone can relate. Who wouldn’t contemplate standing up in a crowded room and singing Mary Had a Little Lamb if they were going to win a brand new iPhone if they did it. The problem is, once you complete one dare it gets easier and easier to complete the next and the game is designed to get progressively harder. The ending is one that leaves you thinking about what really happens to Vee. There are so many possibilities.

OTHER BOOKS IT REMINDS ME OF:

DASH AND LILY’S BOOK OF DARES by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
FLASH POINT by Nancy Kress

SCARLET by Marissa Meyer-REVIEW

SCARLET picks up right where CINDER left off. The excitement and adventure of the first book continues from Page 1 and doesn't let up until the end. Meyer masterfully weaves together the story we fell in love with in the first book with the new storyline involving new characters.

This time Marissa Meyer twists the story of Little Red Riding Hood into a thrilling science fiction tale.

Scarlet, a girl who helps run the family farm, sets off to discover the mystery of her grandma's disappearance and meets a rough and dangerous street fighter named Wolf. Little does she know that her journey to find her grandmother will lead her to the middle of the mystery about Princess Selena's true identity.

Scarlet and Wolf add a lot to the understanding of the complex political situation between Earth and the Lunar Empire. I enjoyed getting to know the new characters, but was always glad when the story took me back to Cinder and her new struggles. I loved Cinder's sidekick, Captain Thorne. He provides some humor in the very stressful situations Cinder finds herself in while escaping.

SCARLET has it all. Suspense, adventure, friendship, and romance. I can't wait to see what Marissa Meyer does next. CRESS will be released in 2014 and pull from Rapunzel and WINTER (2015) will incorporate bits of Snow White. I'm dying to see how she works all these fairy tales into this complicated dystopian, science fiction world.

 Little Red Riding Hood complete with hood and a Big Bad Wolf!

Scarlet and her grandmother are farmers. They sell their produce to the local stores and taverns in the nearby town. When Scarlet first meets Wolf she is startled by his looks, yet drawn to him. They are soon thrown together in the search of Scarlet's missing grandmother.

In the meantime Cinder is working at escaping prison before the Lunar Queen Levana has her put to death. Cinder and renegade Captain Thorne set out to find why Cinder is so important to the Queen and to hopefully find out more information about the dead princess Selena.

Both Scarlet and Cinder find secrets about themselves that have been kept from them for years. Will they be able to grasp who they each are before it is too late for the people of earth?

Scarlet was every bit as good as Cinder! I was not disappointed...well maybe a little bit at the ending, but only because Scarlet ends with a HUGE cliffhanger! I enjoyed reading Scarlet's story and her attraction to Wolf(there are a couple of sigh-worthy tender moments!). But I also enjoyed jumping back into Cinder's story and to read how both Scarlet and Cinder's lives collide. A bit of romance, a bit of suspense all set in a dystopian world~doesn't get much better than that!

It is always fun when both of us can agree on a favorite book! We both have put this on our favorites list and are eagerly anticipating future additions to the series.

UNCHAINED by L.B. Tillit-REVIEW

TJ has had a rough life. Both his parents have been hooked on drugs since he was a baby. He's been neglected for as long as he can remember. Being left on his own most of the time it's no surprise he comes into contact with the gangs of the community. He is just about to get heavily involved when disaster strikes at home and he is removed by Child Protective Services and placed in a foster home.

When TJ moves in with Miss Dixie, he is introduced to a world like he never knew existed. There, he learns what family is supposed to be and what is really important in life.

Eventually TJ's mother gets her act together enough to get TJ back. When he goes home his old friends are waiting for him to pick up right where he left off.

Will TJ be able to resist the world of fast money and dangerous people after knowing what life is supposed to be like and how family is supposed to behave?

UNCHAINED is a fast read from the Saddleback Gravel Road series. It is considered a Hi-Lo book - High interest, Low reading level. Hi-Lo books aren't usually very good, but this one is definitely worth reading.

SUCH A PRETTY GIRL by Laura Wiess-REVIEW

Meredith is fifteen and has already lived through nightmares worse than anything most people could even imagine. Her father sexually abused her and her mother didn’t do anything to stop it. Meredith wasn’t alone though; he abused several other young children, but it was Meredith being injured to the point of needing an emergency room visit and Meredith finally admitting to what was going on that put him in jail. Her father received nine years in prison - long enough for her to turn eighteen and move away on her own.

The only problem…the justice system doesn’t always work the way it is supposed to. Because of progress during therapy and good behavior, Meredith’s father is released just three years after his incarceration. Meredith is scared to death. Her only salvation is Andy, a young man with whom she has a strange connection. He makes her feel calm when nothing else can. Andy is fighting his own demons though and plans to leave for Iowa to see a victim soul - someone who takes on the pain and suffering of another. Andy is paralyzed and he and his mother put their faith in God to cure him. He is leaving just when Meredith needs him the most. Meredith will have to find strength in herself to overcome her newest nightmare.

SUCH A PRETTY GIRL is an intense and emotional novel. It will catch the reader’s attention quickly. However, there are a few details will cause the reader to question the plot. For instance, it just so happens that her father’s arresting officer is now retired and lives in the same condo complex as Meredith. Also, her father can’t live with Meredith and her mother right away, but he does buy a condo on the other side of the complex. All in all, SUCH A PRETTY GIRL is a book to read. If you’ve enjoyed Ellen Hopkins’ IDENTICAL or Elizabeth Scott’s LIVING DEAD GIRL you probably will enjoy SUCH A PRETTY GIRL.

THE LIST by Siobhan Vivian - REVIEW

Nobody knows who writes "The List" each year. The Tradition has been passed on for years. The week before Homecoming "The List" appears with the names of the ugliest and the prettiest girls in each grade. Nobody has ever claimed to have written "The List." Years before the seal of the school was stolen and is used to officially emboss "The List." Each year it is passed on to someone else in secret. That person doesn't know who was the list maker before them, but then it is their turn to make "The List."

For the 8 girls on The List life changes dramatically during the week before Homecoming. This year Bridget Honeycutt is chosen as The Prettiest for the junior class. Immediately the pressure is on Bridget to look her best. This manifests in an eating disorder that she thought had been put behind her over the summer. But she is determined to fit into that smaller dress size by the end of the week. Jennifer Briggis becomes the first four-peat girl as ugliest. Her former best friend Margo was chosen as prettiest which puts her in the top running for Homecoming Queen. When Sarah finds her name on the ugliest list she is determined to fight back. She decides to not bathe for the entire week much to the disgust of the student body that have to be in classes with her. Each girl handles their fame or rejection in her own way, unfortunately letting The List change them whether for positive or negative. With one girl determined that this will be the last List EVER.

My Thoughts:

There were a few things that I disliked about this story. The cursing, the sexual situations, and the drinking/smoking. BUT, I think the story brought out a lot of how fragile young adult self-image can be. And then to have their flaws or assets brought out in public like "The List," how damaging it can be even to the most put-together teen. This was not a "feel-good" story, it didn't end with everyone experiencing their "happily ever after." High school is messy, egos and self-image are fragile and the author was able to show that in this story. And there were moments when friendships and relationships weathered the storm which made the story more palatable for me.


Sexual Content=Some sexual situations, but not graphic
Language Content=There were quite a few swear words peppered throughout including use of the "f" word
Other Content=Teens using alcohol and smoking cigarettes, partying

CHOPSTICKS by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral - REVIEW

Glory, a young piano prodigy, is missing. 

Glory’s mother died when she was young, leaving her alone with her father and a strict practice schedule. With about an hour of free time a day, Glory lives an isolated life revolving around practice, school work, and recitals. 

When Frank moves in next door, Glory is immediately drawn to him. Frank’s artistic and romantic nature is exactly what Glory needs. Frank nurtures Glory and gives her something she’s been missing from her demanding father – love.

As her relationship with Frank deepens, Glory begins to have trouble at her recitals. For reasons unknown to her or her father, she randomly breaks into playing Chopsticks in the middle of her classical pieces.  

The reader is left to put together the pieces of Glory’s life using handwritten notes, YouTube videos, IM transcripts, etc. The mystery of Glory’s disappearance and the validity of the reality she relies on unfolds in the pages of this unique multi-genre book.

ENVY by Gregg Olsen-REVIEW

The small town of Port Gamble, Washington is rocked by the death of one of their own. Katelyn, found dead by an apparent suicide, was a teenager like many others – having friend trouble, boy trouble, family trouble, but would she kill herself? Twins Hayley and Taylor don’t think so and decide to get to the bottom of what really happened.

So begins the mystery with several twists, turns, and red herrings thrown in.  

As mysteries go, it was fine. The author definitely had me trying to figure out what happened to Katelyn as each new clue was introduced. My problems with the book aren’t necessarily from the plot.  

I have a real pet peeve when books include mentions of real life objects that will date the story.  This book has way to much of that.  There are mentions of Facebook and fashion brands that might not be around in several years and end up pulling the reader out of the story. 

There were too many flashbacks and flash sideways. The flash sideways are due to the fact that the author used a third-person omniscient narrator. The third-person omniscient is presented by a narrator with an overarching point of view, seeing and knowing everything that happens within the world of the story, including what each of the characters is thinking and feeling. I really don’t like this style. It has too much of a Desperate Housewives feel to it. 

Oh, there is also some cyberbullying thrown in for good measure.


I did like the paranormal twist added to the story.  The twins, Hayley and Taylor, have some cool abilities, but…..it seemed like they could do just about anything they wanted to. When they wanted to figure out some part of the mystery they found a way. They can sense what happened from touching things (these scenes appear as flashbacks).  One of them can go under water or drink water and have messages appear. They can put things under their pillows and dream about them. There is even one instance where they foresee the future. Good grief! 

All in all ENVY was okay. 

Be sure to check out the website for the book.  It has a lot of cool extras.

THE SELECTION by Kiera Cass-REVIEW

America is in love with Aspen. But Aspen is a Six and America is a Five. It is not common for a person to marry someone in a caste lower than they are. Plus America's mother has her heart set on America trying out for the Selection. A lottery of 35 young girls who get to go to the palace to compete for Prince Maxon's hand in marriage.

Thinking that he is doing America a favor Aspen breaks up with her and insists she put her name in for the Selection. Never dreaming that she will be chosen, and heartbroken over Aspen breaking up with her America puts her name in.

Having been chosen as one of the 35, America arrives at the palace determined to stay in as long as possible in order to help her family out financially. When a bout of homesickness and panic causes America to be too outspoken to the prince she fears that she will be going home soon.

Maxon appreciates America's candor. They soon have an understanding between them to become friends and to share secrets with each other. Maxon vows to keep America to the very end of the Selection process so that she can continue to help her family out.

Still in love with Aspen, America becomes confused by her growing feelings for Maxon. If they are only friends why is she so jealous of the time that the other girls get to spend with him? When Aspen is drafted into service at the palace, America becomes even more confused. She has never stopped loving Aspen, yet she now has feelings for Maxon. When rebels attack the palace it forces Maxon to narrow the Selection down to just 6 girls. Will America be part of the Elite group or will she be sent home?

I really enjoyed The Selection. Set in a dystopian society of castes I am reminded of all the Disney princess movies that I used to watch with my daughters. Although in this story there are two Prince's to choose from. I have to say I am not a fan of the love triangle. There are things I like about both Aspen and Maxon, but I'm voting for Maxon to win out in the end. The Selection is set to be a trilogy so I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book. Oh, and don't ya just love love love the cover?! I do!!


Language Content: Mild
Sexual Content: heavy kissing and some groping but not graphic
Violence: minor

WHY WE BROKE UP by Daniel Handler-REVIEW

Min Green is devastated. She and her boyfriend, Ed Slaterton, broke up. For two months, Min and Ed were practically inseparable. She introduced him to classic movies and he introduced her to basketball. Neither one of them particularly liked the new activities, but they went in order to please the other.

As with most new relationships, friends are neglected, compromises are made, and love is declared.

Everything is great…until it isn’t.

WHY WE BROKE UP consists of Min explaining how her and Ed’s relationship goes wrong. Min kept many mementos from their time together and has decided to give them back. She composes a letter to Ed explaining the importance of each memento and the reasons they broke up. Her final act will be to put the letter in the box with the mementos and dump them on his porch.

Daniel Handler does a FAN-TAS-TIC job of portraying Min as a broken hearted girl. Her devastation comes through perfectly. Anyone who has had their heart broken will be able to identify with Min.

I listened to this on audio and was completely happy with the performance of the narrator, but with the audio I missed out on the unique illustrations by Maira Kalman. Maira Kalman provides illustrations for the mementos throughout the book.

MONSTERS OF MEN(CHAOS WALKING #3) by Patrick Ness-REVIEW

WAR!

The Spackle are determined to get revenge on the humans(The Clearing). Spackle 1017 has a personal agenda to kill Todd. In 1017's eyes Todd helped the humans kill 1017's partner. The Spackle have a weapon of destruction that the humans had never seen before. A weapon that shoots flames that will incinerate whomever and whatever is in the line of fire. The humans are also significantly outnumbered by the Spackle.

Mayor Prentiss has been waiting for this war. It is almost like he craves destruction. Todd is keeping close tabs on the mayor. Todd has never wanted war with the Spackle. He desires peace. Todd also knows that Mayor Prentiss is getting into his head. He has given Todd the ability to quiet his noise. No longer can people hear every thought that Todd has.

Viola is with the scout ship that has just landed. There are 5000 more people coming to land and Viola is afraid that what they will land into is a planet destroyed by war. She and the pilots of the ship are trying to negotiate peace with the Spackle. But Viola is extremely sick from the band that the Mayor had put on all women. It is eating away at her arm, causing pain and sickness.

Mistress Coyle is determined to be the leader of her own band of rebels. Still bent on destroying the Mayor she enlists the help of several other mistresses to enact terrorist acts upon the Mayor and his army.

When Mayor Prentiss realizes that Todd will never consciously take the place by his side as his son he sets off a string of events that could mean the destruction of all.

Monsters of Men is the last book of the Chaos Walking trilogy. It was a bit hard to read with everyone being so bent on destroying each other. It shows that it only takes a couple of power hungry individuals to break up peace talks. I found it really paralleled "real life" wars. And it is hard to negotiate peace when there is so much bitterness buried deep in a persons soul. I liked Viola and Todd's continued loyalty and love for each other. Both determined to protect the other from the destruction around them. I have to say I was very unsatisfied with the ending. I was left with wanting just a little bit more closure. For the most part though Monsters of Men was an exciting ending to the series and I'm glad I was finally able to read it.

WHALE TALK by Chris Crutcher-REVIEW

T. J. Jones is a smart young man.  He lives with his wonderfully supportive adoptive parents, has the perfect girlfriend, and plays some mean basketball. It has taken him a long time to get to a place in his life where he can say he is happy though. It still takes a lot of self-control to suppress his anger because unfortunately, he lives in a town where people aren’t exactly open-minded. As part African-American he faces daily racism from some of the Good Ol’ Boys in town. He particularly has trouble with the star football player.

When T.J. is approached by one of his teachers to join the swim team he is confused. Cutter High School doesn’t have a swim team. It turns out the teacher wants him to start the team and help him recruit other swimmers. T.J. decides to do it, if nothing else, to spite the school athletics group. T.J. is determined to get his swim team to perform well enough during the season so they can all qualify for letter jackets. The group of misfits he convinces to join the team turn out to need a lot more than a letter jacket – they need friendship.

Chris Crutcher packs in so many emotions in this story that you can’t help but be sucked into it. He uses his wealth of experience to weave together a complex story of love and the true meaning of family. I listened to WHALE TALK on audio and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The narrator did a fantastic job. This is one of the classics of young adult literature.  If you haven’t read it yet, now is the time.

THIS DARK ENDEAVOR by Kenneth Oppel-REVIEW

Victor Frankenstein wasn’t always the mad scientist we know him as today. Once he was simply a rebellious and rambunctious young man living a privileged life. It’s not until his identical twin, Konrad, becomes ill that his mind begins straying to thoughts of alchemy. Well, that and the fact that he, along with his brother and distant cousin Elizabeth, stumble upon a hidden library deep within their chateau. Not an ordinary library though, but one filled with books of recipes for magic potions and elixirs. 
 
When their father finds them in the Dark Library, he asks them to promise never to return because of the dangers of the information they might find. Alchemy is a foolish and dark endeavor and one that is illegal to perform. To Victor, the library is an interesting place filled with mysterious books and Konrad’s possible death provides Victor with the excuse to return. Enlisting the help of their best friend Henry and beautiful Elizabeth, Victor finds a recipe for something called the Elixir of Life and is willing to stop at nothing to find a way to concoct the potion. 

The journey is a dangerous one and filled with much adventure. Not only does Victor have to conquer his fears, but he must also fight his growing feelings for Elizabeth and increasing jealousy of Konrad. Will Victor be able to find a way to save Konrad or is it foolish for him to even try as his father says?

My heart goes out to Victor. Konrad is more charming, smarter, and the favorite of the staff. When he finds out that Elizabeth loves Konrad, too it is almost more than he can take. Will his feelings for Elizabeth get in the way of his desire to save Konrad?

THE DARK ENDEAVOR is an interesting take on the Frankenstein classic. Kenneth Oppel has answered our question, “What led Frankenstein to his fascination with creating life where there is none?”  The sequel, SUCH WICKED INTENT comes out August 2012.

OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF TIME by Ally Carter-REVIEW

Cammie wakes up in a convent with no idea of how she got there. She is bruised and beat up. She believes that she is still on summer break but soon finds out that it is October. She has lost several months and has no idea of where those months were spent.

Upon returning to Gallagher School for Girls Cammie finds that her friends are angry at her. Cammie had left to protect them from The Circle that is after her. She also went to find out answers about her father. Her friends are angry that she left them behind and that she was caught and obviously tortured.

Cammie no longer feels like herself. She disappears in her thoughts for long periods of time. Desperate to remember what happened, but also afraid to find out, Cammie and her friends attempt to retrace her steps over the summer.

I love the Gallagher Girl books! It doesn't get much better than girl-kick-butt spies! This installment didn't leave me disappointed. More of the history between the Gallagher Girls School and The Circle is revealed. The friendship between Cammie and her friends is like a family. The suspense and action are worth the read! I'm disappointed that there will probably be a long wait for the next book in the series!

THE CHILDREN AND THE WOLVES by Adam Rapp-REVIEW

Intense, edgy, disturbing – just a few words that describe THE CHILDREN AND THE WOLVES by Adam Rapp. The reader is slapped in the face with the gritty story on the first page. 

Bounce, an extremely intelligent and wealthy girl meets Wiggins and Orange in detention. Bounce immediately sees them for what they are – weaklings and declares herself boss. She is disrespectful to all adults and authority figures and left alone for weeks at a time to do what she wants. 

The story is told in alternating points of view allowing the reader to see inside the minds of each of the characters. All three of these eighth graders have problems. Orange lives at home with his disabled father. His mother left without explanation and he doesn’t seem to care. 

Wiggins lives alone with his mother, a nurse with a fixation on Craig Ferguson. His father was a Ranger in the war in Iraq. When he finally came home, he didn’t stay. He distrusts several things – including refrigerators. 

When a local poet visits Bounce’s Honors English Class, he makes comments that angers her. She immediately develops a plan to deal with him and enlists the help of her two lackeys. The first stage of her plan involves kidnapping a little girl. Wiggins is the one in charge of keeping her fed and she stays in Orange’s basement because no one will find her there since Orange’s father can’t walk. 

Wiggins calls her Frog and is the only one to develop any type of relationship with her. The only thing Frog has to do all day is play a video game called “The Children and the Wolves.” As Bounce’s plan progresses, changes, and intensifies, Frog gets better and better at the game. 

After a particularly violent incident, Wiggins begins to have second thoughts about the path he is traveling with Bounce and Orange. Is he strong enough to break away from the abusive friendship? Will he be able to save Frog? 

THE CHILDREN AND THE WOLVES is engrossing. It is a very short 151 pages and really pulls the reader in. The fact that Bounce, Orange, and Wiggins are 13-years-old is frightening. Bounce especially is scary and most likely a sociopath. She definitely has a lack of conscience and manipulates others. Orange just wants her attention and approval and poor Wiggins, I think, just wants somewhere to belong. This one will really stick with you.

PERFECT by Ellen Hopkins-REVIEW

Ellen Hopkins does it again. PERFECT, written in her signature novel-in-verse style, follows the lives of four teens as they struggle to live up to the expectations of family, friends, and most importantly, themselves.

Stress leads Cara, Kendra, Sean, and Andre to respond in different ways. Two have secrets from their parents, one stresses to perform athletically, and one is determined to have the perfect body. Their choices lead them down paths they didn't know were possible.

What I love about this book is its connection to IMPULSE. During Cara's sections of the book the reader gets to see what her and her family are going through while her twin brother, Connor, is in Aspen Springs, a psychiatric hospital for those who have attempted suicide.

PERFECT is one of the best novels Ellen Hopkins has written. It also has one of the BEST covers!!! PERFECT is also the first of Ellen Hopkins' books I listened to on audio. Each character has a different narrator which really adds to the enjoyment of the book. I think I'll go back and listen to her others on audio too.