Teen Fiction Tuesday: Wild Roses

Wild Roses, by Deb Caletti

Publisher: SimonPulse
Pages: 296 (paperback)
Reading Level: 14 and up
Enjoyment Level: Mid-high

This is the first book I’ve read of hers. She was the keynote speaker at this year’s Houston Teen Book Con and she was so great! I loved hearing her speak. Naturally, it made me want to read something she’d written and this one sounded the most interesting.

From GoodReads:

Seventeen-year-old Cassie Morgan lives with a time bomb (a.k.a. her stepfather, Dino Cavalli). To the public, Dino is a world-renowned violin player and composer. To Cassie, he’s an erratic, self-centered bully. And he’s getting worse: He no longer sleeps, and he grows increasingly paranoid. Before Cassie was angry. Now she is afraid.

Enter Ian Waters: a brilliant young violinist, and Dino’s first-ever student. The minute Cassie lays eyes on Ian, she knows she’s doomed. Cassie thought she understood that love could bring pain, but this union will have consequences she could not have imagined.

In the end, only one thing becomes clear: In the world of insanity, nothing is sacred. . .

I probably should stop going into books with expectations. I thought this one would have a much more dramatic ending than it did. From the beginning, the situation that’s foreshadowed from Cassie’s retelling made me very nervous about how this would turn out. There’s a lot of building up, and of course, that made me want to read and read. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed when it came down to it.

The characters, however, are very interesting. I liked Cassie and I felt like she told her story in a way that made it accessible. I cared very much about what would happen to her and between her and Ian. I also really liked Ian, and the side characters we met along the way. We’re not meant to like her stepfather, of course, and I didn’t, but he was a well-drawn character. The only one I felt was lacking was Cassie’s mother. She just wasn’t quite rounded out enough for me.

Overall, though it wasn’t what I expected, I found the writing to be done well and I enjoyed getting to know Cassie and her situation. I can’t say this one would be great for reluctant readers, but it’s a good showing for anyone who likes straight up teen fiction. The musical element is interesting, and Cassie keeps the story going with a great voice and deep connections to her fellow characters.

Until next time, go read something!

~ Vilate

MiddleGrade Monday: Princess for Hire

Princess for Hire, by Lindsey Leavitt

Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 239 (paperback)
Reading Level: 10 and up
Enjoyment Level: High

This one has been on my list for a while, and I was so excited to see her at this years Houston Teen Book Con. I picked it up and had it signed while I was there.

From GoodReads:

When Desi Bascomb gets discovered by the elite Facade Agency–royalty surrogates extraordinaire–her life goes from glamour-starved to spectacular in a blink. As her new agent, Meredith, explains, Desi has a rare magical ability: when she applies the ancient Egyptian formula “Royal Rouge,” she can transform temporarily into the exact lookalike of any princess who needs her subbing services. Dream come true, right?

Well, Desi soon discovers that subbing involves a lot more than wearing a tiara and waving at cameras. Like, what do you do when a bullying older sister puts you on a heinous crash diet? Or when the tribal villagers gather to watch you perform a ceremonial dance you don’t know? Or when a princess’s conflicted sweetheart shows up to break things off–and you know she would want you to change his mind?

In this hilarious series debut, one girl’s dream of glamour transforms into something bigger: the desire to make a positive impact. And an impact Desi makes, one royal fiasco at a time.

For some reason, I thought this would be for older kids, but it’s definitely middlegrade reading. I flew through it quickly, and really enjoyed the story. I like the unique take on the princess theme. Desi gets to live the lives of princesses, even if she isn’t one herself, but it helps her take charge of her real life, too.

Desi is a great main character. She’s fun and she’s got a mind of her own. There are some things she struggles with, which make her grounded and realistic, despite the magic of being a princess-double. Desi wants to help people and make an impact. She doesn’t always stick to the rules and she deals with the consequences of that – and things still turn out okay in the end.

The other characters don’t necessarily fade into the background, but they don’t feel like major players either, except for Meredith. There are definitely things going on with her. I like how she interacts with Desi. Despite coming across as dismissive, we get to see why she’s like that and we get to see why she makes the best agent for Desi.

If you know a little girl who dreams of being a princess, this one is for her. It’s a good one for the pre-Princess Diaries age group. The story is excellent and it’ll keep even reluctant readers reading to find out how Desi gets into and out of her spots of trouble.

Until next time, go read something!


~ Vilate

Teen Fiction Tuesday: The Goddess Test

The Goddess Test, by Aimee Carter

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 293 (paperback)
Reading Level: 14 and Up
Enjoyment Level: High


***Spoilers Below***

This is my first review since I got my stuff stolen out of my car! I lost a bunch of reviews I’d already written to post. Bummer, right? Well, I’m still kind of picking up the pieces, but luckily, I’ve kept my spirits up by reading some awesome books.

From GoodReads:

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

I’ve decided it’s time for me to stop paying attention to “trends” in the market, and yet, in the past couple of weeks, I’ve read two fairly-recently-published books having to do with the Greek gods. And they’ve both been fantastic. The Goddess Test wasn’t quite what I expected, either, which is always a good thing.

I liked the whole set up of the plot. Kate is a nice character who is in a lot of pain, but doesn’t let that stop her from being a good person. She’s also driven, trying to change her situation with the tools that are presented to her. She doesn’t always make the best decisions, but I like how she deals with the consequences.

The other characters were just as good. I found myself hoping Henry would win out in the end. Hoping that he would be able to care about Kate and save himself. I also really liked seeing how the other characters interacted, and knowing that all of the Greek gods would come into play, I tried to figure out who was who.

I only had one tiny grumble, and that’s about how quickly Kate decided she was really in love with Henry. I expected it to take longer and develop more slowly, but it didn’t. Other than that… I really liked how the mystery came together and how the ending met my expections but didn’t become completely predictable. It left me wanting more. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel.

The Goddess Test is fun and interesting. Not too deep, but certainly not just fluff. Despite it taking place during the fall and winter, it would make a nice summer read. I highly recommend it.

Until next time, go read something!

~ Vilate

Teen Fiction Tuesday: Cryer's Cross

Cryer’s Cross, by Lisa McMann

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 232
Reading Level: 12 and up
Enjoyment Level: High

I’m not sure how to intro this one. I went to the event at Blue Willow Bookshop when Lisa McMann was in Houston – I’d never read anything of hers before, but Cryer’s Cross sounded really interesting. I tried to get in contact with her publicist for an interview, but I never heard back. Luckily, Lisa is awesome and she gave me a few minutes of her time anyway (hear the interview HERE). She gave us a great author event full of readings from Cryer’s Cross and her new, upcoming series. And afterward, I read CC and loved it.

From GoodReads:

Kendall loves her life in small town Cryer’s Cross, Montana, but she also longs for something more. She knows the chances of going to school in New York are small, but she's not the type to give up easily. Even though it will mean leaving Nico, the world's sweetest boyfriend, behind.

But when Cryer's Cross is rocked by unspeakable tragedy, Kendall shoves her dreams aside and focuses on just one goal: help find her missing friends. Even if it means spending time with the one boy she shouldn't get close to... the one boy who makes her question everything she feels for Nico.

Determined to help and to stay true to the boy she's always loved, Kendall keeps up the search--and stumbles upon some frightening local history. She knows she can't stop digging, but Kendall is about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried...

This is a tense book. Pretty much the whole time, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I love that the mystery and creepiness just kept me reading. The story kept me interested and engaged, and offered a few surprises and twists that I didn’t expect.

Kendall is a great character. I love that she has OCD and deals with it the best she can. Even though I don’t have that problem, I could empathize with her. I had no trouble connecting with her personal story. Her quirks really felt like they made her who she is, and although she struggled with the disorder, she would’ve been a different person with a different outcome if she hadn’t had that trial to deal with. I love that the author writes clearly enough to show that our trials help prepare us to handle things we encounter outside of our lives and experience.

I highly recommend this one. It’s great for reluctant readers, too, since it hooks the reader quickly and keeps the tension high until the ending. It’s got a touch of the paranormal, but it’s not overstated or overdone, so readers of straight fiction and of mysteries will like it as well.

Here's your chance to win a signed copy - just follow the guidelines below.

1. be a blog follower
   
2. tweet, blog, or facebook about the contest
3. leave a comment on this post with a link to your tweet, blog, etc.

You have until May 16th to enter. Sorry, due to major budget cuts, this one is not open internationally. :(


Until next time, go read something!


~ Vilate

Middle-grade Monday: The Genie Scheme

The Genie Scheme, by Kimberly K Jones

Publisher: McElderry Books
Pages: 179 (paperback)
Reading Level: Middle-grade
Enjoyment Level: Medium

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Simon and Schuster, I got a whole load of books for middle-graders to review. I’m making my way through them, and this will be the first I’ll share with you. (Lucky you!)

From GoodReads:

When Janna impulsively buys a winter hat for a bag lady, she expects nothing in return. But Janna's kindness pays off in a big way when the bag lady turns out to be a genie! Now Janna is the genie's master and she couldn't be happier, especially when she learns that the "three wishes" rule is strictly for fairy tales!

Before long, Janna's room is overflowing with clothes and gadgets -- but things aren't quite as simple as they seem. Making wishes comes with its own set of rules, and Janna discovers that "unlimited" has some...well, limits. Genies can't make something out of nothing, so everything that Janna wishes for is taken from somebody else. Oops. And then there's the problem of genie wattage -- there's only so much of it, and Janna is using it up faster than she'd like. What's a greedy girl to do?

With insight, warmth, and a refreshing dose of humor, Kimberly K. Jones puts a new twist on the old adage "Be careful what you wish for."

I can’t say this is the strongest middle-grade showing I’ve read. It’s cute, and witty in parts. The flow of the story is probably the best thing the story has going for it. I felt like the plot moved nicely along, pulling me toward the ending without any snags or points where I felt snags. From the beginning, we see the direction of the plot, and the author delivers what you expect.

That said, the main character, Janna, isn’t terribly likeable, even at the end after she’s done her growing. The point is that she grows from a greedy, selfish girl, to one who thinks of others. I think it’s poorly executed here. Janna has few redeeming qualities – the fact that she buys a hat for a poor elderly woman is the only moment that pointed to an underlying good nature in Janna, and that was at the beginning. It was difficult for me to really enjoy the book while I was totally exasperated with the main character. She also seemed much younger than thirteen.

The moral of the story is not subtle in any way. It smacks you upside the head from the beginning, and that also made it difficult to really enjoy this. Maybe I’ve gotten used to the intricacies and nuances that are in older teen fiction, but I found that I didn’t like being forced to have the theme and moral shoved in my face.

But I’ll end on a positive note and say that I loved the interplay between Janna, the genie, and Janna’s friend Albert. That gave me a few chuckles here and there. Albert is a great character and he surprised me more than once, which was a welcome thing in this book.

Although I didn’t care for the story, it’s still a decent middle-grade novel for kids who like magic. And with the pace of the plot, it’s a good one for some reluctant readers. There’s a lot of action and the flow will keep reluctant readers from losing interest.

Until next time, go read something!


~ Vilate

Teen Fiction Tuesday: Wither

Wither, by Lauren DeStefano

Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 368 (Hardcover)
Reading Level: 14 and up
Enjoyment Level: Highest, Highest, Highest

I have to thank Anna and Bernadette over at S & S publicity for sending this book to me. I wanted to read it and my wish was granted without even asking for it! I love, love, love this book.

From GoodReads:

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

So this is one where I could just put “gush, love, gush” for the entire review, but that wouldn’t be very informative, would it? You want to read about how the characters are amazing and the story is intense and interesting.

The characters are amazing. Rhine’s plight doesn’t make her whiny or pathetic. She shows a quiet strength and a lot of depth as she struggles to make sense of what’s happened to her. Her new life is hard on her, but in her world, the wealth she’s thrown into is enough to turn her head a few times. She holds on by remembering freedom and that she has a brother who needs her. I loved the grace she showed under pressure, and the way she handled her relationships with her sister wives and her “husband”.

I thought Wither would be more of a fantasy, but the plot is definitely sci-fi with it’s genetically engineered children and virus. There are a lot of questions about what’s happening to the human race. I loved the way the author handled the characters researching an antidote to the virus. Just like issues in reality, the fictional issue had people on both sides – those that said the human race needed the antidote and those who were for humans to die out gracefully. And set against this, the father of Rhine’s “husband” is determined and relentless in his pursuit of an antidote.

I started and had to finish this in just one day. I couldn’t put it down, and that’s definitely the mark of an excellent book. If you haven’t put this on your to-read list, you should. It’s well worth the read, and it’s a unique idea in the current dystopian overload.

Until next time, go read something!

~ Vilate

Fantasy Friday: Dragonfly

Dragonfly, by Julia Golding

Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Corp
Pages: 390 (hardcover)
Reading Level: 12 and up
Enjoyment Level: High

This is another fantasy that I absolutely enjoyed. I remember more and more how much I loved fantasy novels as a kid, and I’m glad to see so many of them around in the YA market now.

From GoodReads:

Princess Taoshira of the Blue Crescent Islands is appalled when she is ordered to marry Prince Ramil of Gerfal. And he's not too pleased, either. She is used to a life of discipline, ritual, and splendor. He is used to hunting and carousing. They hate each other on sight. But both of their countries are under threat from a fearsome warlord, and the only chance of peace is to form an alliance.

When Tashi and Ram are kidnapped, they fear there's no escape--from their kidnappers or from each other. Can they put aside their differences long enough to survive ambush, unarmed combat, brainwashing, and imprisonment? And will the people they meet on their adventure--including a circus strongman, a daring rebel leader, a sinister master of spies, and the best female fighter they have ever seen--help them or betray them to the enemy?

As pure fantasy goes, this hits the spot. I loved it from start to finish. The plot kept the tension going and there were a lot of twists and turns I didn’t see coming. Adventure and danger added to the fantastical, so it wasn’t just your typical quest-type book or even hero-journey.

The characters are great. I loved the blending of cultures and personalities. Taoshira is excellent as a princess who is struggling to fit into her own world. Once she’s thrown into the land of Gerfal, all she has are the customs and rituals she’s been taught. I particularly liked watching the changes and growth she goes through as a character when her religion and faith are tested after she’s kidnapped. The faltering of her faith is natural and it gives her dimension.

Ram is also a great character. His growth and development are complemented by Tashi’s and it was so nice to see the connection between the two of them solidify as Ram learns about himself on their journey. He matures and becomes the leader he needs to be.

This book didn’t get much attention when it came out, but I highly recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy. On the surface it appears to be a fluff piece of fantasy, but the themes of faith, maturity and love push the story to a different level.

Until next time, go read something!


~ Vilate