Book Review: Far Far Away

It says quite a lot about Jeremy Johnson Johnson that the strangest thing about him isn't even the fact his mother and father both had the same last name. Jeremy once admitted he's able to hear voices, and the townspeople of Never Better have treated him like an outsider since. After his mother left, his father became a recluse, and it's been up to Jeremy to support the family. But it hasn't been up to Jeremy alone. The truth is, Jeremy can hear voices. Or, specificially, one voice: the voice of the ghost of Jacob Grimm, one half of the infamous writing duo, The Brothers Grimm. Jacob watches over Jeremy, protecting him from an unknown dark evil whispered about in the space between this world and the next. But when the provocative local girl Ginger Boultinghouse takes an interest in Jeremy (and his unique abilities), a grim chain of events is put into motion. And as anyone familiar with the Grimm Brothers know, not all fairy tales have happy endings. . .

Far Far Away by Tom McNeal caught my eye when I read that it included Jacob Grimm. Or, rather, his ghost. I'm a huge lover of faery tales.

I had a bit of trouble getting into this one. The ghost of Jacob Grimm narrates the story while the two main characters are Jeremy Johnson Johnson and Ginger Boultinghouse. It was confusing at first as it reads like a 3rd person narrative, but it's not. It's first person, but our narrator spends most of the time observing and little time interacting. Then when he says "I" I had to think about who was speaking. Unfortunately, it took me a third of the book to get used to this.

It also took me about a third of the book to start caring about Jeremy and Ginger. The start was slow, but once it picked up, I didn't want to put it down. The main characters were a lot fun, and I really enjoyed their relationship. The interactions with those around town were interesting and diverse. And the twist when the villain is revealed was surprising.

Far Far Away was really interesting. I've used that term a few times, but it really fits. And it was a very enjoyable read. I'm sad that it appears to be a standalone. I learned some new words in German and Swedish and some interesting facts about two of my favorite fairy tale collectors. I recommend this book to anyone looking for something different. It is certainly unique among YA books that have hit shelves recently.

Book Review: The DUFF

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

I was really excited to read The Duff by Kody Keplinger. It's one of those books that I read a line or two of the premise and that's all I needed before I put it on my "to read" list. But it sat on my shelf for a while. I put it on my list of books that needed to be read in 2012.

Bianca is your typical cynical teenager. She lives at home with her dad while her mom tours. She's pretty much M.I.A. for much of Bianca's teen years. B has two best friends who are skinny and gorgeous, and B accompanies them to parties, much to her chagrin. Wesley, a boy from her school known for hooking up with a different girl every week, begins harassing her. More or less. He calls her "the duff". Designated. Ugly. Fat. Friend. Wesley continues to call her Duffy and get under her skin at every moment.

I'm sad to report that I didn't like it as much as I'd hoped. And I think if I'd read the synopsis, I wouldn't have been so disappointed. I wasn't expecting the "friends with benefits" thing to happen. And I pretty much despised Wesley throughout the entire book. He kept calling her Duffy, not realizing it hurt her, and that ticked me off. You call a girl fat and ugly as a nickname, why wouldn't she be insulted. B's cynical attitude was fun at first. She reminded me a lot of myself, actually, until it started to feel forced. When life starts going good, the cynicism needs to be taken down a notch, and I felt she was more bratty than anything by the end.

The book held my attention, and I didn't want to put it down. I laughed. I cried. And I did enjoy it. But as I stated above, I had some definite issues with it. I'm excited to read more by Kody Keplinger soon!

Book Review: The Secret Year

Take Romeo and Juliet. Add The Outsiders. Mix thoroughly.

Colt and Julia were secretly together for an entire year and no one, not even Julia's boyfriend knew. They had nothing in common, with Julia in her country club world on Black Mountain and Colt from down on the flats, but it never mattered. Until Julia dies in a car accident, and Colt learns the price of secrecy. He can't mourn Julia openly, and he's tormented that he might have played a part in her death. When Julia's journal ends up in his hands, Colt relives their year together at the same time that he's desperately trying to forget her. But how do you get over someone who was never yours in the first place?

I've had The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard for some time now. And since I'm meeting her at PAYA this month, I wanted to have read this one. Everyone I talked to loved this book, so I had high expectations for it. I was excited to dive in. But... it left me underwhelmed.

The story is told in first person, from a male POV. Something that doesn't happen often enough in YA. The book begins with Colt finding out that Julia died. His best friend tells him, but even she doesn't know about Colt and Julia. Colt's family lives in The Flats, a poor neighborhood while Julia's family lives on Black Mountain. She's rich and popular and attends parties at the country club. She has a boyfriend in a similar situation, and then she meets Colt. There is an instant connection between the two, and they begin meeting weekly.

Julia's death hits Colt hard. And it's even harder when Julia's brother gives Colt a journal filled with letters written to him. Her family and friends mourn her loss, but Colt has to pretend he doesn't even really know her. I had a hard time connecting with Colt and Julia. Even though Julia isn't even in the book, except for flashbacks, she is a very big part of the story.

I know it says in the synopsis that Julia has a boyfriend, but I somehow managed to miss that detail until I started the book. We know through Julia's journal that she keeps promising to dump Austin, but never quite manages. This bugged me more than I can really say. When we're talking about characters in books or on television, there are very few things that I just can't forgive. Cheating is one of those things.

I had expected Julia and Colt's story to be full of love and happiness and the secrecy made it interesting. But, instead, it made me dislike the characters. Cheating implies lying and sneaking around and being dishonest. Whether the couple is a long-time married couple, or a couple of teens who've been together for several months, cheating is cheating. If reading about a relationship that is based on lies and cheating doesn't bother you, you may really enjoy The Secret Year. But it wasn't for me. I'm glad I read it, since it's something that so many people I know have read and enjoyed, but it most likely won't be a re-read.

The cover I have is the first one. It's the original cover. My favorite cover is the second picture, but it feels very misleading. It looks more like the sweet romance that I was hoping for. And the third cover... I think this one fits the best.

Book Review: Wintergirls

“Dead girl walking,” the boys say in the halls.

“Tell us your secret,” the girls whisper, one toilet to another.

I am that girl.

I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.

I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.

Lia and Cassie were best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies. But now Cassie is dead. Lia's mother is busy saving other people's lives. Her father is away on business. Her step-mother is clueless. And the voice inside Lia's head keeps telling her to remain in control, stay strong, lose more, weigh less. If she keeps on going this way—thin, thinner, thinnest—maybe she'll disappear altogether.

In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since the National Book Award finalist Speak, best-selling author Laurie Halse Anderson explores one girl's chilling descent into the all-consuming vortex of anorexia.

Wintergirlsby Laurie Halse Anderson has been on my shelf for years. I picked it up after falling in love with Speak. But it sat on my shelf for far too long. Needing a break from my regular preference of YA paranormal, I picked up this contemporary, also YA. And it was amazing! Brilliant! Superb! There just is not a word in existence to describe it.

Lia is our main character and narrator. She is also a wintergirl. After making a bet with her best friend, Cassie, to be the skinniest girl in school, she stops eating. She starves herself so she can make her goal weight. Except, her goal weight lowers as she reaches previous goals. Until she becomes so sick she lands herself in the hospital, and her family eventually has her put into a facility to help her. This novel starts off after she's been released and is (supposedly) doing well. She and Cassie are no longer friends, but that doesn't mean the news of Cassie's death doesn't bother her. While Lia was anorexic, Cassie was bulimic. Both eating disorders that do more harm than good.

Lia lives with her father, step-mother, and step-sister, Emma. Emma is a tween and looks up to Lia. This causes added strain, as Lia's lifestyle is not anything to look up to. Lia's mother is mostly gone from her life. A cardiologist that has more time for her patients than her family. Lia's life was far from perfect before she started starving herself. But living in a home where she isn't receiving the attention every teen girl deserves pushes her further.

There were a number of things I really liked about this book. This is the first novel I've read that dealt with eating disorders. And in case you don't know, eating disorders is huge in the US. Especially with teens and college students. You can see statistics here. So the first thing I loved was that it was such an amazing, impressive, powerful story that I think could really help people with eating disorders. I have friends, past and current, that have dealt with eating disorders. It's not just about being skinny. It's about how someone perceives themselves. For example, Lia comments on how people see her as being a skinny twig, while she sees a thick, ugly log. Which simply can't be true of someone over five feet and under a hundred pounds. I think Laurie did an amazing job of getting into Lia's head and being true to what girls like her are going through.

The second thing I loved was the story-telling. Laurie Halse Anderson's writing is always fantastic, but this one was definitely up there with Speak. The writing was very similar, whereas Catalyst and Twisted had a slightly different style. Lia narrates the book in first person. There are lines where her thoughts are crossed out and a second thought follows, noting the difference between the real thought/response and the thought/response she feels should be real. It was an interesting insight into Lia's thoughts. I had trouble putting this book down, and it was impossible not to be sucked in.

This is definitely one of the best contemporary books I've ever read. It has earned a spot on my list of "Books Everyone Should Read." So if you haven't read it, go grab a copy. You won't be disappointed.

Books vs Movies: Someone Like You, That Summer, and How to Deal

Halley has always followed in the wake of her best friend, Scarlett. But when Scarlett learns that her boyfriend has been killed in a motorcycle accident, and that she's carrying his baby, she's devastated. For the first time ever, Scarlett really needs Halley. Their friendship may bend under the weight, but it'll never break--because a true friendship is a promise you keep forever.

Someone Like Youis the first book by Sarah Dessen that I read. Several of my friends are huge fans of her novels, so I asked for book suggestions. But then I got to the book store and couldn't remember. So I read all the synopses and picked this one. My friends response? "I said pick any but that one. It's her worst!" Well... if that's her worst, then they must all be amazing. Personally, I loved it.

The main character is Halley. And her best friend, Scarlett, gets pregnant. Scarlett, who's always been the together one. But this time Halley will have to be the strong one. Because not only is her bestie pregnant, but the baby's father is killed in an accident, and Scarlett's mother is anything but supportive. This is the first book I've read that centered around a teen pregnancy. It's something that I can't even imagine. As if life isn't hard enough what with high school, applying to college, and trying to fit in. This was a very sweet story, and I absolutely loved it. It definitely made me want to read more by Sarah Dessen. In fact, I went out and bought everything else of hers that was out at the time.

For fifteen-year-old Haven, life is changing too quickly. She's nearly six feet tall, her father is getting remarried, and her sister—the always perfect Ashley—is planning a wedding of her own. Haven wishes things could just go back to the way they were. Then an old boyfriend of Ashley's reenters the picture, and through him, Haven sees the past for what it really was, and comes to grips with the future.

My next Sarah Dessen book was That Summer.I chose to read this one second because it was the first book she had published. Someone Like You was her second. And even though Sarah's books aren't in a series, I like reading books in the order in which they were published. It's interesting to see the author's progress.

I really enjoyed this one. The main character, Haven, lives at home with her mother and older sister... who's about to get married. Her father is getting married to his new girlfriend. The teen years is a time when a lot of change happens, but Haven has to deal with more than most. I really connected with Haven. While my life was very different, there were enough similarities that I felt like I was right there with her. Being able to connect to a character like this goes a long way to me liking the book. I often have a hard time when I can't connect to a character.

In short, both That Summer and Someone Like You were fantastic contemporary YAs, and I can't wait to read more by Sarah Dessen. They are some of the lighter YA books I've read, but I definitely need that sometimes.

How to Deal (New Line Platinum Series)is the story of Halley, a young high school student who is disillusioned with love after seeing the many dysfunctional relationships around her. Her parents are now divorced and her father has a new young girlfriend she doesn't care for too much. Her mother is now always alone; and her sister is so overwhelmed by her upcoming wedding that she barely leaves the house anymore. On top of that, the shallowness of all the girls and guys at her school convinces Halley that finding true love is impossible. A tragic accident, however, leads her to meeting Macon, and suddenly Halley finds that true love can occur under unusual circumstances.

So when I heard that the movie How to Deal was based on a mash-up of Sarah Dessen's That Summer and Someone Like You, I ran right out to see it. The screenwriters took a bit from both and mixed them together. Both Halley and Haven were fantastic main characters and had a lot in common. This film was cute and fun, and my favorite thing was picking it apart. Finding pieces from That Summer and pieces from Someone Like You. I definitely recommend reading both books and seeing this movie.

Books vs. Movies: Hugo Cabret

Orphan Hugo Cabret lives in a wall. His secret home is etched out in the crevices of a busy Paris train station. Part-time clock keeper, part-time thief, he leads a life of quiet routine until he gets involved with an eccentric, bookish young girl and an angry old man who runs a toy booth in the station. The Invention of Hugo Cabret unfolds its cryptic, magical story in a format that blends elements of picture book, novel, graphic novel, and film. Caldecott Honor-winning author-illustrator Brian Selznick has fashioned an intricate puzzle story that binds the reader like a mesmerist's spell.

I have seen The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick on the shelves of book stores for a while now. But I must admit that I had never really paid attention to it until I realized a movie based on the novel would soon be hitting theaters. When I checked it out on Goodreads I found a review by one of my favorite authors, Maggie Stiefvater, who said she loved the book. So I checked it out from my library. I read it in only a few hours. Despite its length, it's a quick, easy read. And I would say probably close to 3/4 of the book is pictures.

The story of Hugo Cabret is beautiful and sad and marvelously entertaining. He lives with his drunk of an uncle in the walls of the train station after his father dies. He has no other family, and then his uncle disappears, but Hugo continues to keep the clocks at the train station running. He becomes a thief to keep himself as fed as he can and to fix his automaton. Before his father died, they began work on a small mechanical man who ran with clockworks. And Hugo continues on their work.

There are some interesting twists and turns, and many of the characters were much more than they initially showed up. As lovely as the story was, the images made it that much more charming. While this book is not written in comic form, it is definitely a graphic novel of sorts. The images are just as important to the story as the words.

Since I enjoyed the book so much, I had to see the movie in theaters. The movie has a shortened title. Just "Hugo". The actors were great, especially Asa Butterfield who starred as Hugo Cabret. In addition to the acting, the effects were great. They weren't over the top, as I've heard many say. I think they were perfect.

According to IMDb, author/illustrator Brian Selznick makes an appearance. I'll have to look for him next time.

As far as movie adaptations of a book go, this one was really close. The order of events weren't changed much. They added and subtracted little. They did, however, cut one of the major supporting characters from the movie. But they did well explaining things, small but important details that are often left out were well done here. My understanding of why so many stories are changed when turned into movies is because pacing in a book is different than pacing in a movie. While I found the book exciting, the movie was somewhat less so. It dragged in a few places.

So... read the book, and then see the movie. Don't miss out! Both were enjoyable.

Book Review: How to Save a Life

...what it means to be a family and the many roads we can take to become one...

Jill MacSweeney just wants everything to go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she's been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends--everyone who wants to support her. You can't lose one family member and simply replace him with a new one, and when her mom decides to adopt a baby, that's exactly what it feels like she's trying to do. And that's decidedly not normal. With her world crumbling around her, can Jill come to embrace a new member of the family?

Mandy Kalinowski knows what it's like to grow up unwanted--to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, she knows she wants a better life for her baby. But can giving up a child be as easy as it seems? And will she ever be able to find someone to care for her, too?

How to Save a Life is written in first person narrative, alternating between Jill and Mandy. Jill has recently lost her father, her best friend. And she's a new person. Old Jill is nowhere to be found. She's coping in her own way, and her mother, Robin, is coping in her own way. One way her mother is coping is by taking Mandy in. Mandy is a pregnant teenager who wants to give her child up for adoption. To Robin. So after leaving her mother and Kent, Mandy travels by train to Denver to meet her baby's new family. 

Jill is against the adoption completely. She doesn't want a sister, and she doesn't want to see her mother get hurt should things not go as planned. And Jill has good reasons to not trust Mandy. She's lied about important details like the due date, and she refuses to go through legal channels. Red flag, right?

Mandy frustrated me at first. But I came to realize that it wasn't actually her. It was her mother. Someone we don't even see over the course of the story except in flashbacks and explanations for why Mandy is the way she is. (Her momma needs to be slapped hard.) And that's when I started to like Mandy. Which happened to be about the same time I started disliking Jill. I rarely see myself as characters in books. Sometimes I'll find a character I can identify with through a few commonalities. But with Jill, there were more than just a few. Even when she ticked me off and I wanted to slap her, I could see myself doing the same dumb thing, making the same mistakes. There are so many things I want to say but won't for fear of giving too much away. 

Due to many similarities between myself and Jill, and the similarities with me/my mom and Jill/her dad, it took me a bit longer to finish How to Save a Life than most novels. Sara Zarr's writing is fantastic, and I often found myself overwhelmed to the point where I had to put it down. The story was incredible and beautifully told and so realistic you feel like you're right there. If you loved Sara Zarr's other books, you'll love this one too. It might be my new favorite of hers. And any lover of contemporary YA will enjoy this one. Don't care for contemporaries? This one just might change your mind. I can't wait to see what Sara Zarr comes out with next!

Manga Review: Laddertop

The Laddertop - Gift to Earth's Future

Twenty-five years ago, the alien Givers came to Earth. They gave the human race the greatest technology ever seen— four giant towers known as Ladders that rise 36,000 miles into space and culminate in space stations that power the entire planet. Then, for reasons unknown, the Givers disappeared. Due to the unique alien construction of the Laddertop space stations, only a skilled crew of children can perform the maintenance necessary to keep the stations up and running.

Back on Earth, competition is fierce to enter Laddertop Academy. It is an honor few students will achieve. Robbi and Azure, two eleven-year-old girls who are the best of friends, are candidates for the Academy. They will become entangled in a dangerous mystery that may help them solve the riddle of the Givers...if it doesn’t destroy the Earth first!

Laddertop, volume 1 is the first installment in an American manga trilogy written by Ender's Game author, Orson Scott Card, and his daughter Emily Janice Card. It was illustrated by Honoel Ibardolaza. I was offered the chance to review this manga by its publisher, Tor Seven Seas. And I jumped at the chance.

We are introduced first to Azure and then to her best friend Robbi (short for Roberta). Both are middle school girls who are waiting to hear if they get to go to Laddertop Academy. Laddertop is one of four towers that extend up to outer space and culminate in a space station. And one of the jobs isn't something just anyone can do. These people have to be small enough to fit into the work space. Meaning they hire short middle schoolers for this job. And they are very selective. As suspected both girls are chosen and whisked off to training.

Right from the start I was under the impression that Azure was the heroine. She had the stronger personality. I could not have been more pleased when I found out I was wrong. That girl drove me crazy. Robbi, on the other hand, reminded me of myself. The other kids were fun and interesting, and, like many middle grade books, the adults aren't completely trustworthy.

The story started off slow, and a bit confusing, but it soon picked up and ended on an exciting note. I blame that on this being the first volume, thus needing the setup and world building. I'm excited for volume 2 where the story should be even more interesting and exciting. If you enjoy sci-fi and graphic novels, you won't want to miss this one.

Book Review: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (and winner!)

Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he thought he was destined to live.

I was really looking forward to reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. It looked funny, and I had read such great things about it, I was sure it would be fantastic. Also, we don't get enough male POV in YA. The main character, Junior, is a teenage boy who lives with his family on a reservation. But he leaves the reservation everyday for school, to go to Reardon where every student is white and many of them are racist.

I was also looking forward to it because it's been challenged so many times, and it's been banned in more than one of those instances. Why was it banned? Partly because of language. Partly because of violence. But mostly because of sexual content. I read a review on Amazon wherein the reviewer gave the book 1 star and called it filth. Another reviewer basically echoed that and said it should not be read by anyone under 18. Junior admits that he masturbates and drops an f-bomb or two. OMG no wonder it's banned! Those are two things teens never do. Apparently, we're supposed to be 18 before we're allowed to read these words.

I'm very much against banning. You don't want your kid to read it, fine. But don't tell me I can't read it. Don't tell other parents that their kids can't read it. That's not cool. So I will stick up for this book. It shouldn't have been banned. It's almost a crime.

That being said... I wasn't a fan of this book. I liked Junior. His life on "the rez" was interesting. I felt bad for what he went through. And knowing this is semi-autobiographical makes it even more interesting. While I enjoyed the characters and the story, I just didn't care for the writing style. It felt like the author was doing his best to sound crass. And the "You know?" added to the end of a sentence on every other page got old. Okay, so maybe it wasn't that often, but it was there enough to irritate me.

One of the things I loved about this book were the cartoons. Junior is a budding cartoonist, so here were multiple cartoons per chapter. Those were funny and entertaining and caused a few laugh out loud moments. My favorite one was where Junior's friend said he loved books so much it gave him a "metaphorical boner". This book also had a few amazing lines. Lines that almost brought tears to my eyes. My favorite: “If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing.”

While I didn't love the book, I think it's one everyone should read. It really makes you think. And I love books like that.

And now... to announce the winner. Congrats to:

Tara (Wild Irish Rose)!

I'll be sending an email shortly. ;)

Rookie Magazine

a.k.a. my new favorite thing.

I first learned about Rookie Magazine from Stephanie Kuehnert's blog. And I try every weekday to log on and read the selections. There are three selections posted each day, at roughly 3, 7, and 11.

*picture from Rookie Mag welcome letter*

Rookie Magazine, while targeted at teen girls, is fun for any age. I'm 28, and it looks like a lot of the contributors are close to my age. So when they talk about their high school years, it's about the same time I was in high school.

There's fiction, real stories, pictures and photos, playlists, and fantastic art. Definitely check it out and look out for your opportunity to get involved with this online magazine!

Book Review: A Girl Named Willow Krimble

She doesn't know magic... She's not a super hero... Her power will amaze you...

So, you’ve just discovered that the person who has tormented, mocked and humiliated you for the past three years is lying in the school parking lot, bleeding internally from a hit and run accident. No one else is around and you need to get to a life-and-death family emergency of your own before it is too late. What would you do? Oh, did I mention you have the secret ability to heal others just by touching them? This is just one of the many situations 13-year-old Willow Krimble must face in this Web Novel, A Girl Named Willow Krimble.

Willow lives with her mother and older brother, Wyatt; she loves hanging out with her best friend, the feisty and sarcastic Razzel Fiora, and she has a close relationship with her grandmother. Seems pretty normal, right? It might be if the two most popular girls in middle school, Shayla Stergus and Snella Burenbine, 
did not taunt and remind her, on a daily basis, 
that she was born without her left leg.

Forced to maneuver through obstacles most teenagers would not need to tackle, Willow is suddenly blessed (or cursed?) with the unusual power to heal others through touch. Ever selfless, Willow’s desire to help the injured and sick thrusts her into a world where she is given immense responsibility, putting the needs of others before her own, all the while trying to maintain her secret.

Willow’s adolescent journey takes her through an emotional cyclone where she finds joy and purpose in helping an array of patients from an old man with Alzheimer’s to a mauled animal in a pet store. But Willow soon finds out there are limitations to her ability and, no matter how hard she might try, she cannot save everyone.

Through the intermingling of joy and pain, Willow is repeatedly tested to discover just how strong she can be, how strong she has been her entire life, and how everyone possesses the ability to effect another person’s world, with or without a secret power.

I was asked to review A Girl Named Willow Krimble, by author Giuseppe Bianco, months ago. I finally picked it up, and I can't believe how much I loved it! I've not read a lot of middle grade novels. I loved Harry Potter and The Spiderwick Chronicles, but they're fantasy. There's fun and magic. But I've not enjoyed many middle grade contemporary novels. Even though there is a bit of magic in this novel, it's definitely a contemporary.

Willow is a thirteen-year-old girl who finds she has the uncanny ability to heal people. Anything from a small cut or scrape up to Alzheimer's. She has a disability, a prosthetic leg, yet she doesn't let that stop her from being an amazing girl with a lot of strength. I found, even at 28, that I related to Willow. Or, rather, the memory of my tween self related to her. While many of the events in her life are very different than mine were, the effects were very similar. I loved her relationship with Razzel. Such good friends are hard to come by.

This amazing book should be read by everyone. A Girl Named Willow Krimble was originally published for free online. You can read it here. But you really do want a copy of it. Visit this page for information on ordering a copy. And while you're on Willow's site, be sure to check out the extras. Author, Giuseppe Bianco, also illustrated this beautiful cover.

Manga Review: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica (1)

“Magical Girl Madoka of the Magus”

There exist strange creatures who have the power to grant one wish to each chosen girl. However, in exchange, that girl must then become a magical girl and fight against witches, evil creatures born from darkness that are responsible for murders and suicides.

In the city of Mitakihara, a schoolgirl named Madoka Kaname and her friend Sayaka Miki are approached by a familiar named Kyubey, who offers to grant each of them one wish in return for making each of them a magical girl. Another magical girl named Homura Akemi tries to prevent Madoka from making such a deal, while Kyubey urges Madoka by telling her she will become the most powerful magical girl. However, contrary to the glamorous notions one would expect, a magical girl finds herself dealing with death, isolation, agony over the value of her wish, and existential crises. Madoka, following her friends, soon sees the darker side of being a magical girl, and because of knowing the truth about being a magical girl, she questions if she should become one as well.

Upon hearing a friend raving about this anime series and how great it was, I decided to check it out. It was only twelve episodes long and not nearly long enough. So after completing that, I decided to check out the manga adaptation. It follows the series almost exactly. I honestly can’t say which I enjoyed more.

Madoka (the one in pink) is a fourteen year old girl, living a normal life with her parents and little brother. Sayaka (the one in blue) is her best friend. They meet new girl, Homura (the one in black), and it’s not long after that Madoka is called to help Kyubey. Kyubey is a small white creature, similar to a cat, but with long floppy ears. He is under attack from Homura. Madoka and Sayaka save Kyubey and instantly see Homura as the bad guy.

But before they can get away, they are under attack of an evil witch. Enter Mami (the one in yellow), a mahou shoujo (magical girl), who has come to defeat the witch, saving Madoka and Sayaka. Kyubey gives both girls the option of becoming a mahou shoujo as well. In exchange for a life of fighting evil, they will be granted one wish… anything they desire. But is a lifetime of fighting witches worth it? And is Kyubey really to be trusted?

Volume one was fabulous, and I’m off to read volume two!

Also, check out this fabulous site, Puella Magi, for more information about this series and spin-offs.

Book Review: Stolen

A letter to my captor…

Sixteen year old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. This wild and desolate landscape becomes almost a character in the book, so vividly is it described. Ty, her captor, is no stereotype. He is young, fit and completely gorgeous. This new life in the wilderness has been years in the planning. He loves only her, wants only her. Under the hot glare of the Australian sun, cut off from the world outside, can the force of his love make Gemma love him back? The story takes the form of a letter, written by Gemma to Ty, reflecting on those strange and disturbing months in the outback. Months when the lines between love and obsession, and love and dependency, blur until they don't exist – almost.

Stolen by Lucy Christopher was given to me by a wonderful friend this past Yule. I tend to read mostly fantasy, but I also enjoy contemporary. And while I was feeling burnt out on fantasy, needing a contemporary, I grabbed this one from the shelf. And wow…

I must admit I didn’t read the synopsis until I was pulling this review together. I’d seen the book in stores. I’d added it to my “to-read” on Goodreads. (You should too.) But all I had read was the title, Stolen: A letter to my captor and the author’s name. That was enough to interest me.

While this story was written as a letter from Gemma to Ty, the man who kidnapped her, it was almost more like a journal with multiple entries. It was written in first person. The fact that she referred to Ty as “you” was the only indication that it was a letter. I was very conflicted about how I felt about both Ty and Gemma. I figured this guy in his early twenties who kidnapped a 16-year-old girl would very clearly be the villain, the bad guy, completely reprehensible. I also figured I’d be on Gemma’s side the whole time, waiting and wishing for her rescue. But it didn’t turn out that way. The writing influenced me to feel how Gemma was feeling. Ty was strong, handsome, and interesting. And Gemma annoyed me on several occasions.

I finished this book a while ago, and it’s been on my mind a lot since. I was a psych major in college, and I think that added an extra level of interest for me. But the fact that a day can’t go by without me thinking about this book is proof of how great it was. It definitely makes you think.

I always add a picture or two of the book covers in my review, but I felt the need to share several extra covers for this book. A few of them do a really good job of showing just how powerful this book is, so I decided to show them here.

Book Review: Priscilla the Great

If you think your middle school years are awkward and traumatic, 

try going through them with fire shooting out of your fingers!

Meet Priscilla Sumner, an ordinary seventh grader with extraordinary gifts. As if middle school isn’t hard enough, not only does Priscilla have to fight pimples and bullies, but genetically enhanced assassins trying to kill her and her family. Armed with wit, strength, and a genius best friend, Priscilla must defeat the Selliwood Institute, an organization dead set on turning children into killing machines.

Add an older brother annoyingly obsessed with Christina Aguilera, mischievous baby twin brothers who could scare the sin off of Satan, and parents more puzzling than a Rubik’s cube in the Bermuda triangle and expect a smoking page-turner!

I was asked to review Priscilla the Great by the author, Sybil Nelson. And it took me way too long to get to. I was almost kicking myself for not reading it sooner, as it was fabulous. It was the best middle grade novel I’ve read in a long time.

Priscilla, aka Priss, is a fiery, red-head about to enter seventh grade. She has an older brother, Josh, and twin terrors in the form of her little brothers Charlie and Chester. Her best friend, Tai, is brilliant, and her other friend Kyle, is… well… he’s your typical gross tween boy. Turns out he can be charming, too. As if life isn’t enough trouble during middle school years, Priscilla learns she can shoot fire out of her fingers by accidentally setting a towel on fire at her friend’s pool party. Thankfully, no one sees.

As much as Priscilla likes her powers, she feels alone. No one else in her family seems to have any abilities beyond that of a normal person. And fire shooting is just the beginning. Soon she discovers she can hear conversations happening in the next room. But when she’s kidnapped, she learns she is not the only “superhero” in her family.

Trust me when I tell you that you want to read this book. It’s smart and funny and you’ll love this cast of characters. This isn’t your typical middle grade book.

And be sure to check out The Kiss of Life and Too Little Too Late, books two and three in this series. There is also a book called Twin Shorts, which includes short stories set in this world and is currently free on Amazon.

Book Review and Giveaway: Senior Year Bites

Contest closed. Winner will be notified by Decadent Publishing

Senior year is supposed to be fun: boys, dances and graduation.

It's significantly harder to enjoy it when you're dead.

Truth or Dare is supposed to be fun too. It's not even close to dangerous, so playing at Steph's house didn't seem like a bad idea. My dare? Spend the rest of the night in the graveyard next to her house. It was only a couple of hours until false dawn, my proscribed return time, so no big deal right? Right.

I survived the attack, but it took me a few days to figure out what was going on. I mean vampires might stalk pop culture, but they're just myths. Yeah. Not so much.

School is a lot more difficult when you're a nocturnal creature of the night. I was managing, but I couldn't keep it hidden from my friends for long. After I managed to accidentally save one of our cheerleaders from her drunk and ill-intentioned boyfriend. Steph decided that we should be cool, like superheroes, and fight crime.

Only I'm a vampire, not a hero, and we live in a sleepy New England town, so crime's a little harder to come by. At least it is until a serial killer moves into the area. He's got the authorities stumped, but then again, the cops don't have a teenage, blood-sucking, non-hero on their team.

Senior Year Bites is the debut novel of J.A. Campbell. It was a fun, fast-paced read. There seemed to be a bit too much going on. If the story had stuck to just vampires, I think it would have worked better for me. Other supernaturals were thrown into the mix. And I’m particularly picky about the use of faeries and their lore.

I enjoyed most of the characters. I know our main character, Meg, was going through quite a bit, but I just couldn’t make any connection with her. Her moods and attitude often changed too fast to follow. And some of the events that happened were either too coincidental or just weren’t believable enough for me. That being said, it was a fun book, and I hope you all check it out. Read to the bottom of this post to find out how to be entered to win a copy of Senior Year Bites.

The Main Characters of Senior Year Bites by J.A. Campbell

People always ask authors where they get their ideas. Do they base their characters off of people they knew, that kind of thing.

I don’t directly base my characters off of anyone. I do draw from experiences though. Everyone does. In the case of Senior Year Bites, Meg, Steph and Ann’s friendship was drawn from a similar (without the supernatural elements unfortunately) friendship I had in middle school and high school.

I had two friends and we hung out together through most of middle school and part of high school. We did a ton of things together, especially when we were younger. I drew a lot from that friendship when I wrote Meg, Steph and Ann. Now, I didn’t say, oh, Steph is D, Meg is me and Ann is S by any means. There are elements of all of us in each character. And I did not base Meg off of myself at all. I also drew from other people and experiences when I shaped those characters.

It was kind of fun to draw from that past relationship though. Some memories it brought up were great, some painful. Some were along the lines of ‘what was I thinking.’ My only defense was that I was young and had a lot to learn. Still do incidentally.

Incidentally, the guys in Senior Year Bites are not directly drawn from high school people I knew. They were created the way I make most of my other characters. Little bits from here, little bits from there.

Anyway, that’s a brief insight into three of the main characters in Senior Year Bites.

Want to win a copy of Senior Year Bites? Just leave me a comment and a way to contact you. In addition to Senior Year Bites, you will win one other title from Decadent Publishing. Winners choice!

Want to win more? Other giveaways are listed below, as well as info on the grand prize. Good luck!

Decadent Publishing Worldwide YA Blog Stomp

Follow the Decadent Publishing YA authors as they travel around the world, giving away goodies along the way and collecting entries for our

GIANT KINDLE GIFT PACK!

Comment on as many blogs on the tour as you want, each day you comment counts as one entry into the Grand Prize drawing.

Blog Tour Schedule 

July 2 - Daily Dose of Decadence

July 5 -  Julie Particka

July 6 -  The Romance Studio chat

July 7 - Enduring Romance

July 8 - The Compulsive Reader

July 11  -Zombies Don't Blog

July 12 - The Eclectic Reader

July 13 - Vanessa Barger

July 14 - Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf

July 15 - Sassy Book Lover

July 17 - Awesomesauce Book Club

July 18 -  Leslie Soule

July 19 - Jon Gibbs

July 20 - Julie Campbell

July 21 - Aine's Realm

July 24 - Daily Dose of Decadence

July 25 - Reader Girls  

July 26 - Romance Author Hotspot

July 27 - Musings of a YA Reader

                  Pensive Bookeaters

July 28 - Coffee Time Romance

July 30 - Jen Wylie
August 1 - GRAND PRIZE Giveaways! Daily Dose of Decadence 

GRAND PRIZE
1 Kindle loaded with 6 Decadent Publishing Young Adult ebooks! 

1ST PRIZE

12 Decadent Publishing ebooks of winner's choice, 1 per month for 12months.

2ND PRIZE

6 Decadent Publishing ebooks of winner's choice, 1 every month for 6 months.

Book Review: Red Glove

Curses and Cons

Magic and the Mob

In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else.

That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does.

When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone—least of all, himself?

Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.

Holly Black’s latest novel, Red Glove, is even more amazing than White Cat, (book one in The Curse Workers series). Cassel Sharpe is back at Wallingford Preparatory for his senior year with his best friend Sam, and Sam’s girlfriend, Daneca. Lila Zacharov, the mob boss’ daughter, has also enrolled. The harder Cassel tries to stay away from her, the harder it gets.

Red Glove dives right into the story, back into the world I fell in love with in White Cat. A place where people are born with the ability to curse, but since no one knows who’s a curse worker and who isn’t, everyone is forced to wear gloves. A bare hand elicits terror from those who fear being cursed… which seems to be pretty much everyone.

Cassel Sharpe is one of my favorite male characters in any YA series. He’s also the narrator. That’s another thing I love about this series: first person, male point of view. It’s something we don’t get a lot of in young adult literature. Personally, I like most of the characters in this series. The characters all interact and respond in a way that is completely believable. They stay true to themselves. Despite this being a world where magic exists, it feels very real. It’s a world I’m glad I don’t live in, to be honest.

The curse working makes this book stand out against the other young adult urban fantasy, where we get a lot of vampires, witches, faeries, etc… It’s a nice way to shake things up, read something different. And another thing I love about this series is the “blowback”. Blowback is what happens to a curse worker after working a curse. It’s retribution for what they’ve done… Karma… And I love that it’s worked in here because I think it doesn’t happen often enough that people have direct consequences for their actions.

Amazing novel, Holly! I seriously can’t wait until book three, Black Heart, hits shelves.

Be sure to check out The Curse Worker’s site for a short story called Lila Zacharov in 13 Pieces, a fantastic book trailer, and extras!