Teen Fiction Tuesday: The Vinyl Princess

The Vinyl Princess, by Yvonne Prinz

Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 313
Reading Level: 14 and Up
Enjoyment Level: High

I swear, every book I’ve read recently has been first person present tense. I think I might find it annoying very soon, so I guess it’s a good thing I got to The Vinyl Princess before I reached my threshold. Otherwise, I might’ve missed out on a good book.

Summer has Allie working full-time at her favorite record store – a perfect job for her since she’s a vinyl junkie. Though her life is usually uneventful, this summer is different. Allie’s life seems to start changing as soon as she starts her own blog, www.thevinylprincess.com and her own fanzine. Soon, her summer holds romance, danger, and the excitement that can come when you least expect it.

For anyone who feels the pull of vinyl, this book will reiterate your desire to expand your collection. I spent some time browsing amazon.com’s selection of vinyl in between chapters. It’s very clear that the author either really knows what she’s talking about, or that she did her research well. Music lovers should enjoy this one quite a bit.

But it’s not just for vinyl junkies. The story is about a girl who encounters a life-changing summer, and the main character made me care about her. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I’d like the story. After the first couple of chapters, it was apparent that it wouldn’t be some adventure with action all the time. I normally don’t like stories that are plot-light and character-heavy, but Allie is such a great character that I was drawn to her life. I finished the book in a couple of days.

I will say that some of the plot that was there drifted a bit instead of being there with a purpose. I would’ve liked more focus on the blog and the fanzine Allie created, and how it helped change her. At the end she says that her blog has created a new “family” of friends, but I didn’t see as much evidence of that throughout the book as I wanted.

The Vinyl Princess kept me interested with great characters and wonderful mentions of music (that made me realize how little I actually know about music!). This is a cool summer read, for sure. As you’re picking out books to read by the pool, consider The Vinyl Princess. It’s very worth it!

Until next time, go read something good!

~ Vilate

One Beetle Too Many

Author: Kathryn Lasky
Illustrator: Matthew Trueman
Publisher: Candlewick Press (2009)
Pages: 48
Ages: 9 to 12 years old

In 2009, there seemed to be a resurgence of Charles Darwin related books. With CHARLES AND EMMA: THE DARWINS' LEAP OF FAITH by Deborah Heiligman and THE EVOLOUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE by Jacqueline Kelly both topping various lists and award nominations, I wasn't surprised to see a picture book about the life of Charles Darwin. ONE TOO MANY BEETLES written by Kathryn Lasky is a biography of Charles Darwin in a picture book format. However, this isn't a small child's picture book nor is it a dry boring biography written for adults. Instead it really is meant more for children second grade and up. The 48 pages of the book is comprised of small chapters that re-tell Darwin's life from the time he was a young child to the time that he published THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES. Lasky focuses her story more on Darwin's natural curiosity that was nurtured by his family as a child, and continued through his whole life. The majority of the book is centered on Darwin's voyage through South America and all of the wonderful discoveries that he made during that period of time. The author also focuses on the scientist's family life including his marriage to Emma Wedgwood and their 10 children. All of which will be more entertaining to children than the controversy surround Darwin's book and theories. I found the book to be an informative and fun read.

Trueman's illustrations are truly the highlight of this book. I wish I was better able to technically describe how beautiful each illustration is, but suffice to say that the mixed media (collage, watercolor, pencil, acrylic ink, etc.)works to feature prominently Darmwin's discoveries. Characters and creatures are drawn with over-sized features and wonderful detail. If just for the illustrations, this is one book that should find it's way into a teacher's collection of books.

In celebration of spring, go for a hike, explore some natural life and read a book.
-Aly

Fantasy Fridays: Immortal, by Gillian Shields

Immortal, by Gillian Shields

Published by: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 368
Reading Level: 14 and Up
Enjoyment Level: Medium


My thanks goes out to my BFF, Stephanie, for giving this book to me for Christmas this past year. The cover intrigued me enough that I put it on my Amazon wishlist, and I finally got around to reading it (I feel like I say that about a lot of books!).

I’m cheating this time and taking the book blurb straight from amazon.com:

Wyldcliffe Abbey School for Young Ladies, housed in a Gothic mansion on the bleak northern moors, is elite, expensive, and unwelcoming. When Evie Johnson is torn away from her home by the sea to become the newest scholarship student, she is more isolated than she could have dreamed. Strict teachers, snobbish students, and the oppressive atmosphere of Wyldcliffe leave Evie drowning in loneliness.

Evie's only lifeline is Sebastian, a rebellious, mocking, dangerously attractive young man she meets by chance. As Evie's feelings for Sebastian grow with each secret meeting, she starts to fear that he is hiding something about his past. And she is haunted by glimpses of a strange, ghostly girl—a girl who is so eerily like Evie, she could be a sister. Evie is slowly drawn into a tangled web of past and present that she cannot control. And as the extraordinary, elemental forces of Wyldcliffe rise up like the mighty sea, Evie is faced with an astounding truth about Sebastian, and her own incredible fate.

While I did get wrapped up in the story, parts of it were a little frustrating, and the ending wasn’t as satisfying as I would’ve liked. Overall, though, I did enjoy getting to know the characters.

Evie is one thing this author did really well. She felt like a real person with real feelings. Sometimes she felt kind of bi-polar with the way her emotions switched around so fast, but I have a sister who’s like that, so I didn’t feel like the emotion-switching was a flaw in the writing. I will say, though, that it did bother me at the end when she was suddenly claiming to be a certain way and it seemed thrown in there to justify her pushing the people around her away.

However, with that aspect feeling rushed and cobbled together, I must say that there were several other points in the book where actions and plot points gave me the same impression. Immortal could easily have taken another chapter or two to develop the plot and support the ending, which was rushed and a little choppy.

I’m going to assume there will be a sequel to Immortal – I hope there will be, to at least clear up the abrubt ending. But a sequel would be nice, regardless, since I’d like to know what happens next in Evie’s life. I can feel confident in recommending this book with the hope of a sequel.

Until next time, go read something good!

~ Vilate

Review of Houston's Teen Book Con

www.teenbookcon.org

For anyone who missed it, I blogged about Teen Book Con last week, and I attended the first annual event this past Saturday. In amongst all the other stuff I've got going on with the magazine, I had to give myself time to review the event, since it's the first book convention I've been to (though, hopefully, not the last).

I found the event to be well-organized for a firstie - some cons start off a little rocky, but the folks at Teen Book Con did a great job. There were a lot more people there than I thought there'd be, too, which made me happy. The panels, lunch, and signing lines were handled very well and I got through all of the ones I needed to (including Jon Skovron and Paula Morris). The bookstore (Blue Willow rocks!!) was kind of difficult to navigate if there were a lot of people browsing at the same time, but it wasn't awful, and they brought plenty of books.

I'll admit my ignorance about Sharon Draper and her novels. I'd never heard of her, but she is a dynamic speaker. She knows her audience and was a great pick for keynote speaker. The kids really enjoyed having her there. It was great to see them get excited about an author like that.

The two panels I attended were fun, although the first one had a few too many authors on it. I feel like panels are best when there are no more than four speakers. Otherwise, it all gets muddled and it takes a long time for the microphone to be passed between them. I enjoyed hearing the authors speak, though.

One thing I learned from the con? I need a t-shirt advertising YA Lit Review! I was so happy to meet several people at the event, two of whom have their own blog and podcast: Girls in the Stacks. They were so nice. And the t-shirt thing... I noticed them because they have their own shirts, lol. So, I broke down and had my own printed up!

On my event evaluation form, I did say that a longer, more varied con would've been fun (or would be great next year). It was fun to meet new people and chat about books, and I wish there'd been more of a venue for that sort of thing. I'm looking forward to the con next year to see where they go from here!

~ Vilate

The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams

Author: Rhonda Hayter

Publisher: Dial (April 2010)
Pages: 242
Ages: 9 to 12 years old
Source: ARC won in a contest

As part of the 2010 Debut Authors challenge being hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren, I made a list of new releases that I was interested in reading. A few weeks ago, debut author Joelle Anthony had a contest on her blog to win a copy of the ARC of The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams by Rhonda Hayter. Since it was one of the books on my list, I entered the contest and as luck would have it I won. It also turns out that author lives not far from me and I was able to attend the launch party/book signing for The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams. Here is a picture of Rhonda signing her book. I am not so sure who was more excited Rhonda or her husband (standing proudly behind her).

The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams tells the story of Abbie Adams who comes from a long line of witches. Though being a witch has some advantages, there are many challenges such as not letting people find out about her powers or keeping her six year old brother from biting the teacher when he morphs into a werewolf when he became angry. When Abbie's father brings home a small black kitten, she notices something strange. The cat is actually Thomas Edison as a boy who was turned into enchanted by another witch. As Abbie and her family attempt to undo the spell and return Tom back to his time period before the time continuum is permanently altered, Abbie still has to deal with her classroom teacher, homework, and learning her lines for the school play.

Hayter has created very likable characters in Abbie and her family. Readers will relate to Abbie's every day struggles with being nervous about her performance in the school play, being sent to the office for getting into trouble in class, or forgetting to study for her spelling test. The history about Thomas Edison is neatly woven into the story and Abbie's and Tom's friendship is wonderfully portrayed. Children will also enjoy all of the magic that is used by all of Abbie's family and friends as they attempt to discover who turned Tom into a cat and right the wrong.

Rhonda Hayter's debut novel is an enjoyable read that will entertain even reluctant readers.

-Aly

Spotlight: Teen Book Con

Teen Book Con in Houston, TX

Location: Alief Taylor High School, Houston, TX
Time: 10:30am through 4:00pm

Authors:

Keynote Speaker - Sharon Draper
* Cynthia Leitich Smith (Tantalize and Eternal)
* Beth Fantaskey (Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side and Jekel Loves Hyde)
* Marjetta Geerling (Fancy White Trash)
* Jon Skovron (Struts and Frets)
* Judson Roberts (The Strongbow Saga)
* Jimmy Gownley (Amelia Rules)
* George O'Connor (Olympians Rule)
* Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise, Echo, Runaways)
* Gayle Forman (If I Stay, Sisters in Sanity and You Can't Get There from Here)
* The Fillbach brothers (Maxwell Strangewell, Road Kill, Clone Wars)
* Elizabeth Eulberg (The Lonely Hearts Club)
* Paula Morris (Ruined)


I will be full of squee this coming weekend. Not because I’ve read all the authors in the list above, but because I’ll be at an actual book convention! One of these days, I’ll be ready to host something like this, myself, but for now I’m content to enjoy a convention organised by someone who isn’t trying to build a literary empire.

It’s been a long, hard road getting to a point where I feel like YA Lit Review is making at least a small mark. I’ve had a lot of help along the way, and I’m happy to make sure any of my readers in Houston know about Blue Willow Bookshop. I’ve done a couple of interviews there already, and it’s the place I’ve met several authors. My contact there, Cathy, has been wonderful! Blue Willow is the official book seller for Teen Book Con this year. Please visit their website, and stop by if you’re in Houston. It’s a great indie bookstore, and they carry many books that the bigger stores never do!

As for the Con, itself, Sharon Draper is the keynote speaker. There will also be author panels to attend, books to buy and get signed, and live music at lunch. The Con is FREE to everyone, which is very cool. It's not often that you get such a great group of authors together where you don't have to pay to get in!

So, if you're in the Houston area, or if you can get to the Houston area, please make some time on your Saturday to visit the Teen Book Con. If you are going to be there, let me know! I'd love to meet and visit with any of my wonderful readers/followers/listeners! (and, for those of you attending, there will be a special rate on the literary magazine!!)

I definitely hope to see you there!

~ Vilate

Fantasy Friday: Eternal

Eternal, by Cynthia Leitich Smith


Published by: Candlewick Press
Pages: 320
Reading Level: 14 and Up
Enjoyment Level: High


There isn’t much history to me getting this book. I should say that I haven’t read Tantalize yet, and I really only picked the two up because the author was at the SCBWI conference in February. Good reason to buy books, right? But since when do I need a reason to buy books?

Eternal follows Zachary, a guardian angel, and Miranda, the soul he was supposed to guard. Zachary fails in his job and Miranda becomes an evil bloodsucker, aka, an eternal. She becomes royalty as the “daughter” of the current Dracula. When Miranda looks for a personal assistant, Zachary takes the position and tries to complete his original job of protecting her soul.

So… the story wasn’t quite what I expected. It didn’t take me long to finish it because I was invested in the characters, but I can’t help feeling like I wanted it to go in a different direction. It ended the way it was set up to end, so I feel like the author did her job, but the darker side of me wishes it could’ve been different for Zachary and Miranda.

This is another one with great characters. Zachary is likeable and Miranda is inherently tragic. The dialogue is snappy, and the supporting cast adds to the mix, too. The treatment of religion and spirituality was handled well, considering this is a story about an angel and a vampire. The world (the same as in Tantalize) is an interesting blend of fantasy and reality.

There is an instance with Miranda’s character development near the end of the book that I felt went unsupported, or at least underdeveloped, and it made the climax feel rushed. The twist with Dracula was fun, and I was appropriately chagrined that I hadn’t seen it coming.

I’ll recommend this one with the tiny reservation that you should know what you’re getting into before you read it. The story starts out with Zachary watching over Miranda to make sure her soul is “saved” and it ends with him making good on his job. I’ll let you come to your own conclusion about what that means, lol. If you don’t want to read a story about star-crossed lovers, don’t pick this one up. But if you don’t mind and want to get swept up in some good characters and good story-telling, by all means – this should be in your to-be-read pile.

Until next time, go read something good!

~ Vilate

**************CONTEST!***************

I have one copy of Eternal, signed by Cynthia Leitich Smith and read to give away! If you'd like to win this copy here's what you need to do:

Tweet this blog - put the link to the post and mention @yalitreview to get credit.

And comment to this post with your name, age, email address and Twitter handle (so we can give you credit for your Tweets!).

That's it! The winner will be chosen at random out of all the entries. The deadline for entries is next Friday (April 9th). Good luck!