Branded - Keary Taylor

Summary:   Jessica's had the nightmares for as long as she can remember. Nightmares of being judged for people who have died, of being branded by the angels. Her friends and family think she's a crazy because of it all. Yet she carries the mark of the condemned, seared into the back of her neck, and hides it and herself away from the world.

But when two men she can't ignore enter her life everything changes, including the nightmares. The two of them couldn't be more different. She will do anything to be with one of them. Even tell him the truth about angels, why she never sleeps, and the scar on the back of her neck. But one of the two has set events into motion what will pull her toward her own judgment and turn her into the object of her greatest fear.   (Summary and image from www.kearytaylor.com - Book given free for an honest review)

My Review:  Branded is a fairly clean YA paranormal romance with interesting premise surrounding a young woman who, for as long as she can remember, is condemned to torturous nightmares every time she falls asleep. I liked that the author deviated from the stereotypical harp-strumming, halo-wearing angels and threw in some seriously evil ones. However, while the plot showed creativity and had good “bones” (my term for liking the core aspects of a story), I had a hard time with the rest of it.

Branded did not feel like a fully fleshed out novel and my impression was that it was written by a relatively inexperienced writer. In addition to the handful of typos missed by an editor, parts of the plot felt melodramatic or contrived while others felt either undeveloped or laden with detail. The characters lacked dimension beyond their assigned roles as sexy bad guy, troubled best friend, and super hot perfect boyfriend. Yes, Alex was perfect, with his delightfully chiseled abs, mad guitar skills, and unshakable love for Jessica, but since I’ve decided to be completely honest I’m going to let you in on a little secret…come close so I can whisper it to you… I am so over perfect. Give me a few flaws, just so I can pretend a guy like that could actually exist.  Alex was very much a case of too good to be true.

While a younger reader might not notice some of this book’s less than subtle foreshadowing, I could not ignore the story’s predictability. It didn’t take more than a chapter to figure out Cole’s big secret, and this transparency extended to the rest of the book. I always knew what was going to happen next…with the exception of the last two chapters. I will say that the conclusion was probably my favorite part of the book. I’m not saying that to be mean, so don’t start sending me hate mail. I’m serious. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I liked how she wrapped things up, leaving certain loose ends untied.

I guess the most that I can say about this book was that the creative storyline shows the author has potential as a writer. While this one didn’t end up being my cup of tea, I think that her upcoming dystopian novel, Eden, looks both gorgeous and promising. Don’t believe me? Click here to visit Keary Taylor’s website.

SIDENOTE:  Since receiving this book for review, Keary has released a new and improved second edition of Branded.  While I didn't want to scrap this review entirely, I did want mention some of the changes that were made in the new edition.  According to the author, all of the typos have been fixed, weaker points in the writing have been shored up, and we learn more about Jessica's past than in the first edition, like why she is the way she is and reacts to things the way she does.  I hope that gives a clearer picture of the Branded that is currently available. 

My Rating: 2.75 Stars

For the sensitive reader: Like I said, this book is mostly clean. While there are a few close calls (those crazy kids) things stay pretty PG on a fairly regular basis.

Sum it up: An interesting story, but not likely to be her best work.

The Wednesday Wars - Gary D. Schmidt

Summary:  Holling Hoodhood is really in for it.

He's just started seventh grade with Mrs. Baker, a teacher he knows is out to get him.  Why else would she make him read Shakespeare...outside of class?

The year is 1967, and everyone else has bigger things to worry about.  There's Vietnam for one thing, and then there's the family business.  As far as Holling's father is concerned, nothing is more important than the family business.  In fact, all the Hoodhoods must be on their best behavior at all times.  The success of Hoodhood and Associates depends on it.  But how can Holling stay out of trouble when he has Mrs. Baker to contend with? (Summary from back of the book and image from http://www.sonlight.com/)

My Review:  First of all, Holling?  Holling Hoodhood?  Weirdest name ever.  The Wednesday Wars has a paradoxical feel: disjointed yet fluid.  The writing is superb, especially for the level it's written.  The character is relatable and yet not.  He pulls off some amazing feats and somehow manages to get himself in the worst situations (like having the 8th grade bullies after him or having to wear a fairy costume with yellow feathers on the rear) and comes out unscathed.  What makes Holling so relatable is his family, the pressures he feels there, his humanity, and his humility.

As a former seventh grade teacher (eighth grade isn't that different from seventh), I thought his teacher was fantastic!  I covet her situation, in that I'd love to have students who could grasp Shakespeare on their own.  She was strict, hard, but compassionate.  I loved how he started out thinking she hated him, but then grew to understand her, and even got to the point where he could talk to her more easily than other adults in his life.  From the perspective of a teacher I know this to be true.  Many times students at this age come in thinking teachers are the devil, and then as the year progresses they learn to trust you and even think of you as more than a robot who sleeps in her closet at the school each night.

There are plenty of conflicts which drive the story; man vs. man, with his father; man vs. self, with his innter turmoil; man vs. world, with the 8th grade bullies, and the list goes on.  Much of Holling's life revolves around his ability to get through difficult situations--a fantastic message for the middle level reader.  And Schmidt does an eloquent job of creating compassion in the reader, rooting for Holling to succeed.

Lastly, I should mention how much Shakespeare was woven in.  The reader isn't expected to have read Shakespeare, but if you have, it adds another rich dimension.  I'd highly recommend this to anyone.

Rating: 4 Stars

Sum it up:  A seventh grade boy's journey through the turmoil that is middle school with the backdrop of the Vietnam war.

Cinderella : Ninja Warrior - Maureen McGowan

Cinderella: Ninja Warrior is part of the Twisted Tales series by Maureen McGowan. Also in the series? Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer.

Summary:  In this fast-paced story full of adventure and romance, Cinderella is more than just a servant girl waiting for her prince -- she's a tough, fearless girl who is capable of taking charge in a dangerous situation.  Seeking to escape the clutches of her evil stepmother, Cinderella perfects her ninja skills and magic talents in secret, waiting for the day when she can break free and live happily ever after.  In a special twist, you will have the opportunity to make key decisions for Cinderella and decide where she goes next -- but no matter the choice, the result is unlike any fairy tale you've ever read.  (Summary from book - Image from amazon.com)

My Review: The second I saw the title of this book I knew my daughters would love it. Like most young girls ages five and seven, they enjoy dressing as princesses, but mine like to roam around the house as pirates, jedis, and ninjas, as well.

Whether you like this book or not will probably depend on your age. From an early tween or YA perspective, this book will likely register as a fast paced, unique, and innocently romantic story of a much more assertive Cinderella. As an adult, I found it all a bit melodramatic, disconnected, and silly, but enjoyed the choose-your-own adventure aspect and think most twelve-year-old girls will eat it up.

My girls certainly loved the addition of Cinderella’s spectacularly acquired ninja skills and magical abilities. That having been said, I quit reading it (to them) because I felt that the romantic aspect of the story was a bit over their heads – nothing inappropriate mind you – just more gushy and wistful than I’m ready for them to be reading. They threw a fit. Perhaps I should have paid closer attention to the 12 and up recommendation.

While this book wasn’t necessarily to my tastes, I applaud the author’s attempt to infuse traditional fairytale with an inventive plot and an empowering heroine. I love that the reader can choose how Cinderella will act without cutting the story short, and I do plan to save this book for my girls to read when they are a bit older.

My Rating: 3 Stars for an adult, 3.5 for an older tween or YA reader.

For the sensitive reader: One use of “breasts” when “chest” would have worked just fine. Other than that, you’re home free.

Sum it up: An interesting twist on a well-known fairytale.

The Third - Abel Keogh + GIVEAWAY

Hey guess what!?  We're giving away an

autographed copy of this book! 

See below for details!

Summary:  When Ransom Lawe, a recycler in the Pacific Northwest, finds out his wife is pregnant with their third--and therefore illegal--child, he's forced to choose between the government who proclaims a desire to save the planet and his hope for a place where his family can live in freedom.  But with the Cencus Bureau Sentinels closing in on his wife and unborn child, Ransom's choice will either save his family or tear them apart forever. (Summary from book - Image from abelkeogh.com - Book given free for review)

My Review:  I know what you're thinking.  Another dystopian novel?  Really?  Are you ever going to stop reading these?  Nope.  Never.  I love them.  The seemingly utopian society. The twisted morality. The character's struggle to survive.  They just, well, complete me (or something along those lines).  So, learn to deal with it.

Most dystopian novels begin in a outwardly perfect society before events uncover a seemy underbelly, but The Third skips over all that and drops you directly into a horrifying world where children are seen as a nuisance, and worse, expendable.  Ransom Lawe lives in our world, in 2065.  People are near starving, and third children are ripped from their mothers bodies by a tyrannical government bent on saving mother earth and controlling the population. 

I don't want to reveal much, but this story was disturbing and intense.  I am the mother of three young children and rarely find time to read during their waking hours, but after a few chapters I was desperate to read more.  All I can say is thank heavens for preschool...and naps...or I might have gone insane. 

I'd also like to give a nod (or a gigantic round of applause) to the author, who manages to keep this story free from the sex and language that seem to accompany other books.  While there is some violence, it is of the hand-to-hand combat variety and tame enough for an older YA reader. 

The Third tied up some loose ends, but there is much more of the story to be told.  As soon as I finished, I contacted the editor to confirm that there was another book and the author even let me read the first chapter (which is sure to torture me for a while).  I look forward to reading the next two books in the series when they are published.

My Rating:  4 Stars

For the sensitive reader:  Some hand-to-hand violence between characters, and one scene of violence towards an infant at the beginning (more of a "putting the child in danger" situation).

Sum it up:  An intense and evocative ride.

Read the first chapter or learn more about Abel Keogh here.

_____________________________________________

Would you like to win a copy of this book?
Sorry, this giveaway is closed!

Simply comment below with your contact info:

(You don't even have to follow us, but we'd LOVE it if you did)

For extra entries:

(leave separate comments for each entry)

• Be (or quickly become) a follower (via GFC or Blogged - see sidebar)
• Share this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter, or some other networking site
• Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. 

Eligibility: This giveaway is open to US/CAN residents only.  It will end on  May 31st at 11:59 PM.  The winner will be chosen randomly, posted publicly and contacted swiftly to arrange shipping.  Good luck!

______________________________________________

Across the Universe - Beth Revis

Summary:  Amy is a cryogenically  frozen passenger aboard the spaceship Godspeed.  She has left her boyfriend, friends -- and planet -- behind to join her parents as a member of Project Ark Ship.

Amy and her parents believe they will wake on a new planet, Centauri-Earth, three hundred years in the future.  But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, cryo chamber 42 is mysteriously unplugged, and Amy is violently woken from her frozen slumber.

Someone tried to murder her.

Now, Amy is caught inside a tiny world where nothing makes sense.  Godspeed's 2,312 passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader.  And Elder, Eldest's rebellion teenage heir, is both fascinated with Amy and eager to discover whether he has what it takes to lead.

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder.  But should she put her faith in a boy who has never seen life outside the ship's cold metal walls?  All Amy knows is that she and Elder must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill her again.  (Summary from book - Image from bethrevis.com)

My Review:  Let's clear something up right away - this book is in no way based on Beatles lyrics or on the 2007 movie of the same title.  If that's why you're reading this review, you can stop right now.

Anyone left?

Okay.  This Almost the Universe is a fresh and fascinating YA sci-fi romance with a little mystery thrown in.  I loved the unique setting and I read the whole book rather quickly, considering the distractions that three kids can offer, but was not left without some concerns.  From an adult perspective, the writing was fairly basic and nearly every twist was easy to see coming.  A younger reader might not care about those things, but certain aspects of this book (namely the Season which causes everyone but the main characters to exhibit the rutting instincts of animals) left me questioning it's suitability for the YA audience. 

That said, the grown-up in me still enjoyed the afternoon.

My Rating:  3.5 Stars

For the sensitive reader: Some sexual language, plenty of "mating" during the Season, and one mildly graphic attempted rape.  Only one use of actual profanity, but several uses of made-up words like frexing, chutz, and shite, that convey a similar message.

Sum it up:  Fun but predictable.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard - J.K. Rowling

Summary:  The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a Wizarding classic, first came to Muggle readers' attention in the book known as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  Now, thanks to Hermione Granger's new translation from the ancient runes, we present this stunning edition with an introduction, notes, and illustrations by J.K. Rowling, and extensive commentary by Albus Dumbledore.  Never before have Muggles been privy to these richly imaginative tales:  "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot," "The Fountain of Fair Fortune,"  "The Warlock's Hairy Heart," "Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump," and of course, "The Tale of the Three Brothers."  But not only are they the equal of fairy tales we now know and love, reading them gives new insight into the world of Harry Potter. (Summary from book - Image from amazon.com)

My Review:  The Tales of Beedle the Bard is an interesting, but relatively unimportant, addition to the Harry Potter series.  I read the fairy tales to my children and the commentary by Albus Dumbledore to myself (since they haven't read the HP series).  The commentary by Albus Dumbledore was not as insightful as I would have liked, but did give some alternate perspective and have moments of Dumbledore's signature humor.

Most of the fairy tales can be read as stand-alone bedtime stories for children, even those who aren't familiar with J.K. Rowling's previous works.  The Wizard and the Hopping Pot, The Fountain of Fair Fortune, and Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump were lighter, more traditional fairytales and my girls loved them.  The Tale of the Three Brothers was significantly darker but I loved the eery feel and its connection with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  However, I wouldn't recommend reading The Warlock's Hairy Heart to your young ones.  Preceded by two sweeter tales, a less discerning parent might end up speechless and scrambling at the paragraph "The maiden lay dead upon the floor, her breast cut open, and beside her crouched the mad warlock, holding in one bloody hand a great, smooth, shining scarlet heart, which he licked and stroked, vowing to exchange it for his own."  Not that that ever happened to me. *awkward pause*  Um.  Anyway. 

Perhaps the best reason to purchase The Tales of Beedle the Bard is that all royalties will be donated to the Children's High Level Group, which works to make a real difference in the lives of many institutionalized and marginalized children.  While it doesn't inspire the same devotion as its thicker counterparts, I'm glad I have my copy to sit alongside the series.

My Rating: 3 Stars

Sum it up: A welcome addendum to the Harry Potter series.

Perfect Chemistry - Simone Elkeles

Summary:  A modern tale of star-crossed lovers with a fresh urban twist. At Fairfield High School, on the outskirts of Chicago , everyone knows that south-siders mixing with north-siders can be explosive. So when Brittany Ellis and Alejandro “Alex” Fuentes are forced to be lab partners in chemistry class, this human experiment leads to unexpected revelations – that Brittany ’s flawless reputation is a cover for her troubled home life, that Alex’s bad-boy persona hides his desire to break free from gang ties, and that when they’re together, life somehow makes more sense. Breaking through the stereotypes and expectations that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart, Perfect Chemistry takes readers to both sides of the tracks in a passionate love story about looking beneath the surface. (Summary and image from http://www.simoneelkeles.net/)

My Review:  Pride and Prejudice meets She's All That and West Side Story in this gritty, urban romance by Simone Elkeles.  Alex and Brittany have nothing in common.  He's a hardened member of the Latino Blood street gang and she's Ms. Perfect, with her perfect grades, perfect hair, and perfect life.   When the two are thrown together in chemistry class, they couldn't be more unhappy about it and emotions run high.  But things change, as they often do in books like this, and it isn't long before the tension between them is of an entirely different nature.   Neither Alex or Brittany are what they seem and as they get to know each other, the truth comes out in unexpected ways. 

No doubt about it, this book is a YA romance novel and not much else.  It had a great deal of profanity, sexual comments, sexual situations, and substance abuse -- far more than I feel is necessary or appropriate in a YA novel.  It might have been a little less offensive if I didn't speak Spanish, because then I would have missed certain words and innuendo, but there were plenty of English ones to go around.  That having been said, I read this 357 page novel from cover to cover in four hours.  And not just any four hours.  I looked at the clock at 2am when I was crazy enough to think "I'll just read a chapter" and I didn't look at it again until I finished at 6am.  Yes, I realize this makes me crazy.  Obviously, I was a wee bit invested in their relationship, okay?

I was disappointed by this book's romanticized view of gang membership, because I felt most of the time their behavior was toned down to be more "attractive bad boy" than "lethal killer" (with exceptions made towards the end).  Simone Elkeles has written several other YA novels in this same genre that usually revolve around teens working through problems of fitting in, or dealing with difficult situations at home.  She has written two more books that follow Alex's brothers, Carlos and Luis: Rules of Attraction (2010) and Chain Reaction (releasing Aug. 16th, 2001). While I wouldn't recommend this book to young adults, I think that an older adult, who is not bothered by sex, profanity, etc. might enjoy this YA romance. 

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

For the sensitive reader:  If it wasn't for all the profanity, sexual comments, and sexual situations, I would probably have given this book a four star rating.  I definitely did not feel it was suitable for a YA audience (at least not my YA's), however "realistic" it might have been. 

Sum it up:  A very mature YA romance (that kept me up all night, literally)

Cloaked - Alex Flinn

Summary:  I'm not your average hero.  I actually wasn't your average anything.  Just a poor guy working an after-school job at a South Beach shoe repair shop  to help his mom make ends meet.  But a little magic changed it all.

It started with a curse.  And a frognapping.  And one hot-looking princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission.

There wasn't a fairy godmother or any of that.  And even though I fell in love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairytale I've ever heard.  Before I knew it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Keys.

Don't believe me?  I didn't believe it either.  But you'll see.  Because I knew it all was true, the second I got Cloaked.  (Summary from book - Image from www.harpercollins.com )

My Review:  I've read a few Alex Flinn books (A Kiss in Time and Beastly) and I have to say that I think that this is the last one I'll be reading.  There wasn't a great deal that was wrong with it, as far as YA fairytale retellings go, but I have better books to read (theoretically, anyway).  Like the other Flinn novels I've read, Cloaked offers a male perspective on a modern-day fairytale, but instead of just sticking to one fairytale, this book was a combination of seven.  That's a lot.  The characters bounced about quite a bit and everything just moved too quickly.  I felt like I was reading a book on speed (not me, the book).  While each scenario was a interesting on its own, taken as a whole -- well, I kind of got a headache. 

I will say that the Cloaked reminded me of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, with its combination of modern and mythological.  Each book had questing heroes with difficult tasks, but where Olympians had gods, monsters, demigods, and magic, Cloaked had witches, royalty, talking frogs, and enchanted swans. 

Overall, this book would probably be entertaining for a younger young adult, but I think it would leave the average adult mildly amused, but mostly dizzy and unsatisfied.

My Rating:  3 Stars

For the sensitive reader:  Not much to worry about here.  There's a bit of romance and talk of making out that elevates this from children's fiction to young adult, but it's all very tame.

Sum it up: A modern (and mildly entertaining) mish-mash of fairytales.

I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith

_____________________

This review comes to us from the Tristi Pinkston, published author (see here and here), freelance editor, and blogger extraordinaire.  She is also a Cubmaster, chocolate-lover, and a Pisces.  While impressive, these aren't the reason that I love Tristi.  I love Tristi because she is supremely sarcastic. You might not believe this, but I think she might be more sarcastic than me. *Gasp* I know, right?!

Want to see more of Tristi?  Visit her blog or website.
_____________________


Summary and Review:  Every so often, I will read a book that hits me so close to dead center that I feel as though the author somehow knew me and had found a way to reach out and grab me and pull me in to their world, and keep me from ever wanting to leave. “I Capture the Castle” by Dodie Smith was exactly this kind of book for me. I forget how I learned about it for the first time—I think I saw it recommended on a book blog, I put it on my to-read list, and happened upon it in the regular course of things. Now I wish I’d read it much, much sooner … so don’t delay, like I did.

The premise: The book is set in England in the 1930s. Cassandra Mortmain is a seventeen-year-old girl who lives with her older sister, Rose, her younger brother (whose name really isn’t important), her eccentric step-mother, Topaz, and her father, a brilliant man who authored one novel but has been unable to write anything else. In an attempt to find his muse again, he takes out a lease on a crumbling old castle, thinking the surroundings will do him good, but his well has run dry, and his family starts selling furniture so they can continue to eat.

Cassandra is our first-person narrator, who tells us the story by the aid of journal entries. Smith does an amazing job of creating this character beautifully in our heads. I felt sucked in from the first paragraph. In fact, I have that first paragraph on a book bag my husband bought me: “I write this sitting in the kitchen sink. That is, my feet are in it. The rest of me is on the draining board.” She tells the history of the family, shows us who the family members are, and then launches into the main story.

Two young men have moved into the neighborhood, and Rose, who is determined to have a better life, decides that if she were to marry Simon, the older son, she could save the family from their utter poverty. She sets out to win his heart, enlisting Cassandra’s help. Cassandra is only too eager to see her sister happy, and to help her father out of his morbid depression, but she soon develops feelings for Simon herself. Her loyalty to her sister keeps her from saying anything, and why would he want her, anyway? Rose is the beautiful one, the talented one, while Cassandra is just a girl, and a tomboy at that.

We follow the two girls as they plot and scheme to win Simon over to Rose’s cause, and then we see them make realizations about themselves and about their lives that are truly breathtaking. The ending was unexpected, yet beautiful. I would not have seen it end any other way, even though I feel as if I left a piece of my heart inside the pages.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Sum It Up: Breathtaking coming-of-age novel that will live in your mind long after you’ve closed the covers.

Steel - Carrie Vaughn

Summary:  Sixteen-year-old Jill has fought dozens of fencing tournaments, but she has never held a sharpened blade.  When she finds a corroded sword piece on a Caribbean beach, she is instantly intrigued and pockets it as her own personal treasure.

The broken tip holds secrets, though, and it transports Jill through time to the deck of a pirate ship.  Stranded in the past and surrounded by strangers, she is forced to sign on as crew.  But a pirate's life is bloody and brief, and as Jill learns about the dark magic that brought her there, she forms a desperate scheme to get home--one that risks everything in a duel to the death with a villainous pirate captain.  (Summary from book - Image from harperteen.com  - Book given free for review)

My Review:  Steel arrived at my door, looking every so promising, with a dashing cover that guaranteed a “swashbuckling tale of magic, romance, and pirates”. I’ve been pretty stressed out lately--we’re trying to get our house ready to put on the market--and couldn’t wait to escape into what I hoped was a fast-paced, blustery adventure on the high seas.

Steel offers an interesting combination of modern fencing, time travel, and piracy. While this novel provided ample information on fencing and pirates, it started slowly, and I struggled to connect with the characters or disappear into the story. My first thought, when reading of Jill’s initial appearance on a colonial pirate ship was, “Wow. She’s taking this really well.” She didn’t seem particularly fazed by her disappearance from modern times and subsequent capture by a raggedy band of pirates. Now I don’t have a lot of experience with these things, but I’m guessing that time travel usually tends to freak people out. Jill’s lack of sheer, unadulterated terror was conspicuous, to say the least, and I felt an immediate emotional distance from the story and its characters.

With a gorgeous setting like the colonial Caribbean, I expected luscious descriptions that created a feast for the senses--words that allowed me to taste the salty air, feel the blistering sun, and possibly get a mild case of seasickness. Quite simply, I wanted to feel there, and, alas, I did not. I stayed in my almost-for-sale house and read a book. It wasn’t a bad way to spend the afternoon, but it wasn’t a great one either.

Steel awkwardly straddles the children’s fiction and YA genres, producing a kind of lukewarm piracy that lacked the grease, grit, and outright peril that come from more accurate pirate adventures. Even, the promised romance was virtually non-existent and certainly not worth mentioning on the cover. While I understand having to keep to a certain code when writing for the kiddos, I was still a little disappointed by what felt like a watered-down version of a more exciting novel.

I struggled for about a week through nearly two hundred pages, before the events of the story finally caught my attention. The final duel, chase, and battle were far more intense than the rest of the book, and I liked how she chose to resolve things. While I probably won’t recommend this book to many adults, I think that this novel could find its ideal audience with younger young adults who are more likely to enjoy this PG pirate adventure.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

For the sensitive reader: Despite the sugarcoated pirates, there were some moments of profanity, violence, and underage rum-consumption. They are still pirates, after all.

Sum it up: A swashbuckling tale of lukewarm piracy.

The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan

Summary:  Jason has a problem.  He doesn't remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip.  Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper, and his best friend is a guy named Leo.  They're all students at the Wilderness School, a boarding school for "bad kids," as Leo puts it.  What did Jason do to end up here?  And where is here, exactly?  Jason doesn't know anything--except that everything seems very wrong.

Piper has a secret.  Her father, a famous actor, has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare about his being in trouble.  Piper doesn't understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn't recognize her.  When a freak storm hits during the school trip, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she's going to find out, whether she wants to or not.

Leo has a way with tools.  When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home.  But there's weird stuff, too--like the curse everyone keeps talking about, and some camper who's gone missing.  Weirdest of all, his bunk mates insist that each of them --including Leo-- is related to a god.  Does this have anything to do with Jason's amnesia, or the fact that Leo keeps seeing ghosts.    (Summary from book - Image from fanpop.com)

My Review:  I am a die-hard fan of those Lightning Thief books (aka the Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series) and jumped at the chance to revisit Riordan’s magical world of mythology, monsters and mayhem by reading the first book in his new series, The Heroes of Olympus. I loved Riordan’s unique blend of modern with mythological and found that The Lost Hero, now with new demigods (and a few old ones), another ominous prophecy, a case of amnesia, and a treacherous quest, had a similar feel to Riordan’s previous works.

In short, I liked this book.  The Lost Hero was fun, easy to read, and I enjoyed learning more about familiar characters and being introduced to some new ones.  It's always interesting to see what powers each demigod has inherited from their parent and the full extent of what they can do.  Riordan also adds some new gods to the mix and even throws in a a few heroes or villains for good measure.  I loved the addition of the lesser known (to me) Roman mythology and all that it means for the series. 

My only real complaint is that, at first, I had some difficulty figuring out who the "bad guy" really was, or which "bad guy" was speaking to which demigod.  It took a little mental exercise and reading a little further into the story before I finally figured everything out, but it eventually all made sense. 

This is a book aimed at older children or younger young adults, and as such, isn’t overly complex or arduous. It doesn’t take long before an obstacle is faced, overcome, and replaced with another. If this book were written for an older audience, I would call this a “flaw”, but in this case, the pace kept things exciting for younger readers. Either way the story was laced with enough trademark creativity and humor that I didn’t really mind. I look forward to the next book in the Heroes of Olympus series, The Son of Neptune (releasing 10/11/11), and hope that the excitement continues.

My Rating: 4 Stars

For the sensitive reader:  Um.  I don't remember anything offensive -- unless you are offended by Cyclops.

Sum it up: A fun spin-off to a much-loved series.

I Am Number Four - Pittacus Lore

Summary:  Nine of us came here.  We look like you.  We talk like you.  We live among you.  But we are not  you.  We can do things you dream of doing.  We have powers you dream of having.  We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen.  We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books - but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them.  But they found us and started hunting us first.  Now all of us are running.  Spending our lives in the shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in.  We have lived among you without you knowing.

But they know.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.

I am Number Four.

I am next.

(Summary from book - Image from barnesandnoble.com )

My Review:  I am Number Four is a romantic young adult sci-fi novel and an extremely easy read. It had an immediate hook, with a prologue that caught my attention and a premise that held it for most of the book. It took me about 295 pages before I even thought to write down more than a few sentences of notes (and the book is only 440 pages long).

My favorite part of this book was the emergence of John Smith/Number Four’s supernatural powers and his attempts to navigate a new school without revealing his identity. John’s efforts to control his powers, hone them, and hide them, provided quite a few situations that were interesting and, at times, humorous or surprising. I also liked the moments of initial attraction between John and Sarah and the problems that their relationship created both within the school and for John in general. This book will delight the less discerning YA reader and entertain older fans who don’t mind a little predictability, a few knight-in-shining-armor moments, and some occasionally cheesy dialog.

I am Number Four started out strong, but lost momentum towards the end. I could handle the moments of predictability, but once the Mogadorians emerged as an immediate threat my interest began to wane. They felt cartoonish with their pale skin, pointy teeth, trench coats, and low brimmed hats, and I had a hard time taking them seriously. Also, once John and Sarah’s romance progressed past the initial stages of attraction, I lost the connection between them. It just fizzled out. Oh, there was love professed, but it felt wooden and unrealistic. I think the final battle was my least favorite part of the book. While I loved the addition of another character, the rest was sloppy and rushed with some all out absurdity for good measure.  The ending does, however, provide closure with enough room for the sequel, The Power of Six, releasing August 23, 2011.

Despite its flaws, I can see why this book was chosen for the big screen. It was quite cinematic and held numerous possibilities for action, romance, and impressive special effects. If the Mogadorian’s manage to get their scare on and John and Sarah are well-cast, the movie has the potential to be better than the book. 

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

For the sensitive reader: Some scattered profanity and ever so slightly gory violence.

Sum it up: An exciting premise with less than satisfactory execution.

Forge - Laurie Halse Anderson

Summary:  Would you risk everything to be free?

The young soldiers at Valley Forge are suffering from hunger, cold, and the threat of the British army.  Their newly forged bonds of friendship might be enough to help them survive.  But the chains of Curzon's past threaten to shackle him again.

Surrounded by the fires of ignorance, mistrust, and greed, Curzon can't risk sharing his deadly secrets with anyone.  Does he have the mettle to hold on to his freedom?  To claim his rightful place as an American?  Is he strong enough to find the answer to the hardest question of all: Is Isabel still alive?

Acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson continues the thrilling adventure started in her bestselling, award-winning novel Chains.  Ride along on a gallop that will take you from battling the British at Saratoga to fighting the elements at Valley Forge to rebelling against merciless tyranny.  Discover what the fight for freedom was really all about.  (Summary from jacket cover and image from http://bonniesbooks.blogspot.com)

My Review:  When I first started Forge, I kept thinking that it was a bit slow and that I didn't get introduced to the main character very well.  I realized after reading three-fourths of the book, that it is a sequel.  Chains comes first.  Obviously you're expected to come into the story knowing the protagonist.  I didn't want to stop reading to start the first in the series, so I'm missing some of the back story but once I was a third of the way through I was hooked.  Reading Forge was the best way to make history come alive for me.  I never had a love of social studies growing up; I just couldn't get myself interested in all the dates and places that I was supposed to memorize.  It wasn't until I became an adult that I realized how fascinating it is. 

Forge was very informative and I feel like I understand the Revolutionary War a lot better after reading it.  I didn't know much about it besides the little I can remember from elementary school.  I had no idea that slaves fought in the war and that many of their owners made a deal of freedom at the end of the war if they fought in the army.  I am going to highly recommend this book to all my students and especially to the social studies teachers at my middle school.  I think I would have retained more information if I had learned about the war in this format.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Sum it up:  Gritty on a YA level, it opens eyes to what conditions were like for soldiers fighting for our freedom and then takes it a step further by seeing it all through the eyes of a slave.

Delirium - Lauren Oliver

Summary:  Ninety-five days, and then I'll be safe. 

I wonder whether the procedure will hurt.  I want to get it over with.

It's hard to be patient.  It's hard not to be afraid while I'm still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn't touched me yet.

Still, I worry.  They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness.  The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don't.  (Teaser from book jacket)

------------

They say that the cure for love will make me happy and safe forever. And I’ve always believed them.

Until now.

Now everything has changed. Now, I’d rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.

(Teaser from harperteen.com - Image from goodreads.com)

My Review:  I haven’t been able to get this book out of my mind for the last couple of days. It’s no secret (or it shouldn’t be by now) that I’m a fan of dystopian fiction and this one snagged my attention from the few teasers that I had read about it.

Lena can’t wait for the surgery will make her immune to the world’s deadliest disease, amor deliria nervosa, more commonly known as love. She wants to be happy again -- free from the constant threat of contamination and able to forget the pain she feels from her mother’s suicide. The cure is her chance to start over and she is counting the days until her procedure. That is, until she meets Alex and learns the truth.  Her world is not as perfect as it seems and the “cure” is not a gift.

Can I just step outside my reviewing persona for a second? You know, the one where I try to sound all uber-smart and professional. I can? Oh, thank heavens. Sometimes that persona is ex-haust-ing.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fun. It was romantic. It was interesting. I recommend it if you are a fan of light YA dystopian fiction, especially if you like some spicy-but-not-too-spicy romance thrown in. While Delirium does fall prey to the occasional cliché description of love (e.g. heat, floating, explosions of color), for the most part, I was too busy reading to roll my eyes. Lauren Oliver has written a book that is both emotionally charged, exhilarating, and captures the overwhelming intensity of first love. Lena’s story held my attention the entire time and occasionally made my heart race.  I finally had to make myself put it down around 3 AM so I wasn’t a complete ogre the next day.

To be clear, this book is not Fahrenheit 451 or The Giver. Few books are. Delirium has been compared to Matched, another recently released (and reviewed) young adult novel with a romantic theme, but is significantly more exciting and sophisticated. Both books focus on the romantic element more than any other part of the plot, but because Delirium treats love as a disease, it skillfully weaves together the lighter subject matter and the more horrific elements of society without taking away from either part of the experience.

One of my favorite features of the book was the the statements from experts on the deliria, and excerpts from The Book of Shhh, The Comprehensive Compilation of Dangerous Words and Ideas, and other sources, that headed each chapter.  These little tidbits, while completely fictional, were very interesting and gave more insight into the mentality of the Lena's world and added depth to the story. I was also glad that it took Lena a while to come to terms with her feelings and make certain decisions – that she didn’t chuck it all for love at the very first opportunity (ahem…Twilight). For some reason, that made her struggle, and the entire story, seem more real. Also, Alex only takes his shirt off in an actual emergency and, thankfully, Lena does not wax poetic about his abs (though it’s totally implied) which for YA novels, these days has got to be some kind of record.

Delirium ends at a frantic pace and with a gutsy finish that I loved, but not everyone will appreciate. Normally I check books out at the library, but I’m glad that I purchased this one and will not be selling it to any used bookstores. I will definitely be reading the sequel, Pandemonium, when it is released.

My Rating: 4.25 Stars

For the sensitive reader: A few widely-spread cases of profanity (including a couple f-words that came out of nowhere and in rapid succession) and a vaguely sexual scene where certain items of clothing come off.

Sum it up: A pure pleasure read.

The Peasant Queen - Cheri Chesley

Summary:  After running away from home, Krystal is transported to a faraway kingdom where an evil tyrant is bent on taking the crown--and Krystal's hand in marriage.  But when she falls in love with the rightful heir to the throne, she must make an impossible choice: sacrifice her one chance at happiness and agree to marry King Gregory, or face the destruction of an entire kingdom.

In her debut novel, Cheri Chesley delights readers of all ages with this epic tale of a simple farm girl who discovers that even the humblest of peasants has the potential to change the world.  (Summary from book - Image from goodreads.com  - Book given free for review)

My Review:  *Sigh*  I wanted so much more from this book.  At just under 250 pages, I hoped to escape into another world for an afternoon or two, but instead spent my time reading what I felt was an interesting, but unfinished manuscript. Oh, the punctuation, spelling, and grammar were perfection (I’m sure the author could teach me a thing or twelve), but the characters, setting, and storyline of the book felt thin and incomplete.

If I could ask Ms. Chesley for one thing, it would be for her to go back and insert some atmosphere and emotion into her story. I wanted to be able to visualize every page of this novel but could not because it rarely waxed descriptive on any level. Most of the book was comprised of he said/she said dialog, and he did/she did action, with little description of settings, characters’ emotions, or their motivations. I’m not asking for flowery mush, mind you, but rather subtle and evocative phrasing that would help me see (and sink into) the story.

If I could ask Ms. Chesley for one more thing. It would be friction. FRICTION. Quite simply, the story went too smoothly -- obstacles were easily overcome, danger skirted, and emotions developed quickly and with insufficient explanation. This perceived lack of genuine sentiment and lasting conflict between characters made the story feel convenient and contrived.

On the upside, this book is full of fighting, courtly intrigue, a dash of magic, a feisty (nigh combative) heroine, and is an always clean medieval romance. I think you will find that books like that aren’t easy to come by.  I feel like it fit well into the younger YA category (just above tween) in terms of plot and emotional complexity and could find a delighted reader in that audience.

Ultimately, this story was not my cup of tea (or cocoa).  However, I feel I should mention that there are quite a few people who would disagree wholeheartedly with my review.  They loved it.  I wanted more.

My Rating: 2.25 Stars

For the sensitive reader:  One of the characters gets a little friendly, but it's fairly mild. 

Sum it up: A story with a good heart that has unreached potential.

Life As We Knew It - Susan Beth Pfeffer

Summary:  When Miranda first hears the warnings that a meteor is headed on a collision path with the moon, they just sound like an excuse for extra homework assignments.  But her disbelief turns to fear in a split second as the entire world witnesses a lunar impact that knocks the moon closer in orbit, catastrophically altering the earth's climate.

Everything else in Miranda's life fades away as supermarkets run out of food, gas goes up to more than ten dollars a gallon, and school is closed indefinitely.

But what Miranda and her family don't realize is that the worst is yet to come.

Told in Miranda's diary entries, this is a heart-pounding account of her struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all--hope--in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar time.  (Summary from book jacket and image from  http://ashley-thecompulsivereader.blogspot.com/)

My Review:  I can't help but feel this book is too creepy to be enjoyed.  What are the chances that a meteor could knock the moon off its orbit enough to affect the world?  That is a question I'm not sure I really want to contemplate.  But, with that spark of thought, it opens up a wide range of possibilities, all with consequences I have a hard time combining with the realities of raising my small family.

Miranda's family and their progress through this book is very realistic.  The depictions of Miranda's envy of her younger brother's food consumption,  her mother's desire to keep them all alive but putting more emphasis on Jon (her younger brother), their reactions to the latest downfall to their predicament all felt so very true for a teenage girl and her perspective of her family.  I was amazed at her mother's foresight.  I was impressed by the family's loyalty and work ethic.  I cannot imagine going through such an ordeal.

I cannot say I raced through this book.  In fact, I was rather slow in the beginning to trudge through the pages.  I knew it was only going to get worse.  It can be hard to want to know what is coming when you know it has to be bad.  By the last third, as is typical of me, I was racing to finish.  I just had to know if it had a happy ending.  It's not peaches and cream ending, but it didn't leave me upset.  I refuse to ruin it for you.

I'm not sure I'll recommend this to my students.  I'd have to know the reader was strong to start and had an interest in end-of-the-world situations.  Otherwise, I think it would just freak them out.

One thing I do know, I want more food storage and think I'll keep more basic necessities on hand...just in case.

Rating:  3.75  For sensitive readers: There is persistent swearing, of the Bible variety, but since it's a young adult book I felt it necessary to note.

Sum it up: Although an end-of-the-world scenario type book, it really had me thinking about emergency preparedness and just what it would take to live through a worldwide catastrophe.

Carrie Pilby - Caren Lissner

Summary:  Teen Genius (and Hermit) Carrie Pilby's To-Do List

1.  List 10 things you love (and DO THEM!)

2.  Join a club (and TALK TO PEOPLE!)

3.  Go on a date (with someone you actually LIKE!)

4.  Tell someone you care (your therapist doesn't count!)

5.  Celebrate New Year's (with OTHER PEOPLE!)

Seriously?  Carrie would rather stay in bed than deal with the immoral, sex-obsessed hypocrites who seem to overrun her hometown, New York City.  She's sick of trying to be like everybody else.  She isn't!  But when her own therapist gives her a five-point plan to change her social-outcast status, Carrie takes a hard look at herself--and agrees to try.

Suddenly the world doesn't seem so bad.  But is prodigy Carrie really going to dumb things down just to fit in?  (Summary from book - Image from barnesandnoble.com - Book given free for review)

My Review: Carrie Pilby, with her quirky inaccessibility and extreme social awkwardness, is the literal description me in high school – only not that smart. I started out this book laughing and over identifying like you would not believe. Carries dry humor and sarcastic personality were amusing and, at first, all I needed to declare my love for the book. Carrie lives the life of a 19-year-old hermit and, although burdened and blessed with an overwhelming intellect, she has difficulty processing or taking part in a world where people do stupid things that hurt themselves or others. She’d rather just stay in bed. However, in pursuit of social acceptance, or at least an understanding of social behavior, Carrie emerges from her insular world and sets out to change herself.

While the ultimate message of the book is uplifting, the book in its entirety was not. Eventually Carrie concludes (yes, a bit of a spoiler here) that you can still be yourself and hold to your standards in a frighteningly amoral world, but she takes a excruciatingly long time to come to that conclusion. (end of spoiler) For the majority of the book, Carrie forces herself to experience the real world in ways that would terrify most parents. Many secondary characters give impressive monologues on why she should partake of their lifestyle, and occasionally she does with varying degrees of trepidation. An older reader might grasp the intricacies of this plot, but I worry that a younger reader would miss the underlying significance of her struggle and would buy into what these characters were selling in regards to underage drinking, illicit drug use, and casual sex. Also, Carrie’s past, and only, sexual relationship was with a much older man when she was underage. While this relationship fed into the reasons behind Carrie's reclusive behavior, its presence, in what I felt was being sold as a light-hearted teen novel, was troubling. I loved Carrie’s personality (and the author’s ability to write it), but felt that Carrie’s advanced intellect set the subject matter slightly above its young adult classification, regardless of its bubble-gum cover art.

When I picked up Carrie Pilby I expected a light and humorous search for self-worth, identity, and friendship. What I got was far different, and a little disappointing. After a while, Carrie’s musings over moral relativism lost their shine and her attempts to establish a lasting relationship with anyone started to chafe, and I just couldn’t love her enough to be completely invested in the book. I finally had to force myself to finish it.

*Sigh*

My Rating: 2.75 Stars

For the sensitive reader: This is one of those modern teen novels that brings in pretty much everything you don’t want your young kid up to –sex, drinking, drugs, etc. While Carrie always approaches both of these with her own set of ethics and moral standards, she does tend towards experimentation in pursuit of greater understanding, etc. There is infrequent swearing and sporatic discussion of sexual matters.

Sum it up: The quasi-literal definition of “do not judge a book by its cover.”

Prophecy of the Sisters - Michelle Zink

Summary:  An ancient prophecy divides two sisters--one good...one evil...who will prevail?

Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthrope have just become orphans.  They have also become enemies.  As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, they find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets.

Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust.  They just know they can't trust each other.  (Summary from back of the book and image from theslowestbookworm.blogspot.com)


My Review: I really wanted to like this book--the cover is quite eye catching, and it came to me highly recommended.  Alas, it was slow paced, so dark and sinister that it repulsed me, and ended unresolved.  I know there's a second book, but I truly don't want to read it.  I'd like to get the cliff notes to satiate my curiosity, but I don't want to waste another week of reading time to figure out how it all plays out. 

Much of this book is spent trying to figure out what is wrong with Lia and Alice. And once you do understand what is going on; you spend the rest of the book trying to figure out how to stop this craziness.

The writing was more sophisticated than typical YA books, which was nice.  And the atmosphere in the book reminds me a bit of Jane Eyre.  Where it didn't measure up was the contrasting feelings of overall goodness.  Maybe I'm jumping the gun on this judgment, for I'm fairly certain the next book will (hopefully) address some of these issues by answering how Lia will try and make everything right again.  Will I pick up the sequel?  I'm not sure.  Not for a while at least.


Rating:  2.75 Stars

Sum it up: Disturbing and dark, slow paced and sullen, this book evokes a sinister feel that you can't shake.

A Curse Dark as Gold - Elizabeth C. Bunce

Summary:  The gold thread shimmers in the fading light.  It promises Charlotte Miller a way out of debt, a chance to save her family's beloved woolen mill.  It promises a future for her sister, livelihood for her townsfolk, security against her sinuous and grasping uncle.  It might even promise what she didn't know she needed: lasting hope and true love.

But at what cost?  To get the thread, Charlotte must strike a bargain with its maker, the mysterious Jack Spinner.  But the gleam of gold conjures a shadowy past--secrets and bonds ensnaring generations of Millers.  And Charlotte's mill, her family, her friends, her love...What do those matter to a powerful stranger who can spin straw into gold?  (Summary from book cover - Image from www.pnla.org)

My Review:  A Curse Dark as Gold won the William C. Norris debut award for young adult literature in 2009 and is a dark, languid retelling of the classic fairytale Rumpelstiltskin, set in England in the late 18th century. This novel has a Austen-esque atmosphere with a supernatural flair, and is considered historical fiction because of its detailed depiction of the woolen industry in the early stages of the Industrial Revolution, and rendering of women’s rights in regard to property and business.

Elizabeth C. Bunce maintains the same disturbing tone in her retelling as in the original fairytale, as traditional fairytale romance takes a back seat to a story of loyalty, greed, heritage, and revenge. After her father’s unexpected passing, Charlotte Miller takes over the family’s failing textile mill. She hopes to save the business, but the going is rough as the mill is plagued with all manner of mishaps. In a fit of desperation, Charlotte turns to a mysterious stranger to fix her financial woes and ends up in far greater danger. Now up to her eyeballs in an even more sinister debt, Charlotte must come to terms with her family’s shameful history, as she struggles to break an ancient curse that threatens to destroy those she loves.

While the beginning of the book moved rather slowly, it picked up as the story moved along and ended the way I like retellings to end -- with the feeling that perhaps I’ve just received the inside scoop on the story behind the fairytale. A Curse Dark as Gold wasn’t the kind of book I would shout from the rooftops about, but I enjoyed the retelling more than the original and will keep it in my library until my girls are old enough to read it for themselves.

My Rating: 3.75 Stars
For the sensitive reader: I can’t remember anything -- which usually means if there was any swearing or violence, it wasn’t excessive.

Sum it up: An eerie retelling that breathes life into an old classic.

The Water Wars - Cameron Stracher

Summary:  Welcome to a future where water is more precious than oil or gold...

Hundreds of millions of people have already died, and millions more will soon fall--victims of disease, hunger, and dehydration.  It is a time of drought and war.  The rivers have dried up, the polar caps have melted, and drinkable water is now in the hands of the powerful few.  There are fines for wasting it and prison sentences for exceeding the quotas.

But Kai didn't seem to care about any of this.  He stood in the open road drinking water from a plastic cup, then spilled the remaining drops into the dirt.  He didn't go to school, and he traveled with armed guards.  Kai claimed he knew a secret--something the government was keeping from us...

And then he was gone.  Vanished in the middle of the night.  Was he kidnapped?  Did he flee?  Is he alive or dead?  There are no clues, only questions.  And no one can guess the lengths to which they will go to keep him silent.  We have to find him--and the truth--before it's too late for all of us.  (Summary from book - Image from barnesandnoble.com  - Book given free for review)

My Review:  Wow. Doesn't that cover just take your breath away? I did a little dance when I received this book in the mail because, like the rest of the world (including you), I tend to judge a book by its cover, at least initially, and couldn't help but set aside the rest of my books and dive right in to this one.

I enjoyed the fundamental structure of this book – its basic plot, setting, and characters. Cameron Stracher creates a combination of urban decay, sun-baked desert, and futuristic technology as he tells the story of Vera and her brother Will, who are struggling to survive in a world that has been drained of its natural resources. Chased by water pirates, environmental terrorists, and greedy corporations, they scour the parched earth for their lost friend, a boy with the mysterious ability to find water.

While this book had an interesting premise, it was not without its flaws. It's fast pace frequently felt so rushed that I wasn’t able to fully absorb any of the secondary characters, emotions, changing settings or events before they had blown past. Consequently, Vera’s relationships with Kai and, especially, Ulysses developed so quickly that they didn’t feel authentic. Overall, the story felt thin, like I was reading along the surface of a great story that could have delved deeper, but did not.

This novel has a strong environmental theme about the importance of conserving our natural resources and caring for our planet in order to avoid long-term and devastating consequences. It also implies that natural resources should belong to the people as a whole and not to individual governments. The idea that the world could be plunged into a war for Earth’s water resources was morbidly fascinating and all too possible, which left me wondering “Could this really happened, and what would I do if it did?” While I tend to dislike YA books that push an obvious agenda, an attempt to cultivate a sense of environmental responsibility in today’s youth is hardly worth complaint.

The Water Wars has been hailed as a “rousing adventure story in the tradition of The Hunger Games.” This is an exciting promise, but ultimately an optimistic one. It was an interesting YA read, but it has neither the heart nor the teeth of The Hunger Games and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of disappointment that despite its fascinating premise The Water Wars didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars (A younger reader might not notice or care about some of the things I did and rate this higher).

For the sensitive reader: This book contains slightly graphic descriptions of death.

Sum it up: While this dystopian YA novel wasn’t quite as psychologically compelling or complex as The Hunger Games, it was an admirable and entertaining attempt.