Sci-Fi Saturday: Skinned, by Robin Wasserman

Skinned, by Robin Wasserman

Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 361
Reading Level: 14 and Up
Enjoyment Level: Medium/High


Welcome to another post for Book Week. Sci-Fi Saturday is a little more difficult to do since most of the Sci-Fi I have, I haven’t read yet. I had planned to do a little something special with the three books in this series when the third comes out later this year, but I think it’s worth posting the first review now.

Lia Khan was everything everyone else wanted to be. Until she died. Her brain functions were transferred to a body that will never die, and now all of the people who said they loved her have abandoned her. Worse than that, there are those in society who see her new life as an abomination. People fear her, and she doesn’t even feel like herself anymore. She’s been skinned, and she may never feel normal again.

I felt like the beginning of this book was kind of slow. I also will admit that I had some troubles relating to Lia in a lot of ways. It seems like she’s without real emotion except for anger and depression, so there are very few points where silver linings are visible. Not everyone will be able to identify with her. I have a smidgen of hope that Lia won’t always be such a downer. She’s gone through a really hard time, of course, so I tried to give her some leeway on that.

The other characters are mainly self-centered and nothing to write home about. The vaguely post-apocalyptic world sets them all up as rich, snobby do-nothings that only care about themselves. The character I did end up liking was Auden, a boy who takes an interest in Lia. I found him to be interesting, with a good mix of compassion and reality.

I found the basic plot and science to be interesting enough to keep me going, though I certainly didn’t race through the book. The writing is good, and I can say that the world is set up a certain way and the author stays true to that world the entire time. Even though I didn’t care for most of the characters, they are genuine for this book’s setting.

While I can’t say it has the same charm for me as Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies series, I did enjoy Skinned for the writing and the rich and well-done setting. I’ll be reading further in the series, too, hoping to find a light at the end of the tunnel for Lia.

Book Week is almost over… Have you read a good book this week?

~ Vilate

ASH

Author: Malindo Lo
Publisher: Little, Brown Books (2009)
Pages: 272
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Own

Malinda Lo's ASH is commonly referred to as a Cinderella tale with a twist. Similar to the original tale you have a man with a daughter who marries a woman with two daughters. Shortly after this new union, the man dies and his daughter essentially becomes a servant in the home of her step-mother. However unlike the Disney version the fairy godmother in this version is male, darker in nature and more representative of traditional fey mythology. Yet, Sidhean, Ash's fairy godparent, is not really where the twist lies. In Lo's version we are introduced to the Huntress who leads the royal hunts. It is here that the story veers. Ash enters into a friendship with Kaisa, the current Huntress. It is through this friendship that Ash's life changes.

As I read ASH, I had mixed feelings. I had heard such wonderful things about the book. Yet the first part of the story felt slow and flat. It wasn't until the second half of the book that my interest picked up. However, something was still off for me. In conversations with friends, my thoughts about the book became clearer. I actually loved Lo's descriptions of the world and it was her world that I wanted to see more of without the restraints of the Cinderella story. It almost seemed like the need to maintain certain elements of Cinderella distracted from the core of the story which was more centered around Ash's connection to Sidhean and her growing relationship with Kaisa. I wanted more of the world of faeries and the history of the Huntress and less of Cinderella.

So even though I had mixed feelings about ASH, I was actually really excited to find out that Malinda Lo is currently working on a companion novel/pre-quel entitled the HUNTRESS. I am hoping that with her next book I will get the richness of Lo's writing with what I expect is a fascinating world of the Huntresses.

Enjoy the rest of Children's Book Week by grabbing a book. Happy Reading!

-Aly

The Cinderella Society

Author: Kay Cassidy
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pages: 336
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Author

Sixteen-year-old Jess Parker survives by staying invisible. After nine schools in ten years, she's come to terms with life as a perpetual new girl, neither popular nor outcast. At Mt. Sterling High, Jess gets the chance of a lifetime: an invitation to join The Cinderella Society, a secret club of the most popular girls in school, where makeovers are the first order of official business. But there's more to being a Cindy than just reinventing yourself from the outside, a concept lost on Jess as she dives tiara-first into creating a hot new look.

With a date with her popular crush and a chance to finally fit in, Jess's life seems to be a perfect fairy tale. That is until the Wickeds--led by Jess's archenemy--begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and Jess discovers her new sisterhood is about much more than who rules Mt. Sterling High School. It's a centuries-old battle of good vs. evil, and the Cindys need Jess on special assignment. But when the mission threatens to destroy her new dream life, Jess is forced to choose between this dream realized and honoring the Sisterhood. What's a girl to do when the glass slipper fits, but she doesn't want to wear it anymore? (Product description taken from Amazon)

I have spent over fifteen minutes trying to figure out how to start this review. I have never encountered a book where I could easily book talk it to librarians and teens as being easy to read and good for even reluctant girl readers and yet it took me weeks to read it. I also have never had a book where I grumbled through the first 12 chapters and then went on to finish it and sincerely wanted to read the sequel.

Kay Cassidy's debut novel THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY is really a little less about Cinderella and a little more about girl empowerment. On the day of the book's release, I tweeted Cassidy something to the effect that the message of the book was important whether you were a 15 year old teen girl or 45 year old professional woman. And as I attempt to sort through my emotions or feelings about the book, I realize that in many ways my grumbling was really my inner teen insecurities protesting at being disturbed. Most days I can hide behind the "I am a successful, professional woman" facade and pretend like those feelings or struggles with self-esteem or self-worth are safely in the past. However, to be honest, most adult women I know who are successful have gotten there through the support and encouragement of other successful women mentoring them at various times in our lives.

Cassidy took very real struggles and issues that girls face throughout high school and gave them names. The Cindys, a secret club of popular girls whose mission is to embrace their strength and be extraordinary, and the Wickeds, mean girls bent on making life miserable for the Reggies, or regular girls. The Cinderella Society is a sorority or sisterhood that 16 year old Jess Parker finds herself being initiated into after moving into a new town and being the target of the leader of the Wickeds.

The story contains make-overs, hot boys, and a mission to find out the plans of the Wickeds and stop them from the way they torment the Reggies, but the real power of the story is Jess' transformation from the beginning of the book to the end. Without giving too much away, Jess learns that make-overs and having a hot boyfriend and being popular may not always be what it is cracked up to me. There are somethings that may just be more important.

Thanks Kay for reminding me of all of the women who were there to support me since high school and empowered me to become the woman and the professional that I am today.

In honor of the book, I have 10 Cinderella Society bookmarks to give away to the first 10 people who comment about a woman mentor who has made a difference in their life. Please remember to include an email address so that I can contact you about your prize. And even if you don't include a comment, please go out and thank a woman who made a difference in your life.

- Aly

Children's Book Week at Blue Willow Bookshop

James Dashner and Brandon Mull at Blue Willow Bookshop

You know James Dashner best for penning the amazing Maze Runner, out in October of last year. He is also the author of the 13th Reality trilogy, as well as The Jimmy Fincher Saga, a series of four books.




Brandon Mull gave us the brilliant Fablehaven series, and Candy Shop Wars (which could be a movie in the next couple of years).




These two authors were great this past Monday. They kicked off Children’s Book Week at Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston, TX. It was a nice crowd, full of kids, and James and Brandon kept them engaged and answered a lot of questions.

I wasn’t in a very good position to get any pictures, but I had a lot of fun listening to these two authors talk about writing, touring, and their most embarrassing moments from childhood. There were some die-hard fans in the audience, and several moms and dads who’d also read the books, which is always nice to see.

They were both extremely nice. They offered up their contact information for interviews, so I hope to have some reviews and a couple of interviews for you soon!

I just wish I could’ve gotten to 13th Reality or Maze Runner before the event. And I almost finished the first of Fablehaven, but I left the book at my parents’ house this weekend. Oops! I did get the second of the Fablehaven series signed, as well as the first book in 13th Reality.

And there’s swag! I have prizes for two people who comment on this post. Leave your name, age, email address and a comment about either James Dashner's books or Brandon Mull's books. Winners will be chosen at random.

One winner will get a signed Fablehaven poster, plus a bookmark, as well as a tote and poster for Children’s Book Week. The second winner will get a signed Fablehaven poster (plus bookmark) and a signed 13th Reality poster (plus bookmark). Both winners will also receive a copy of our first issue of the Literary Magazine.

One last, fun announcement… The podcast will turn two years old in June. I’m celebrating with a birthday party, and I want to include everyone who might want to come. So if you’re in the Houston area, or could get here, and would like an invitation, send me your email address and you’ll get an evite!

Now, go on and enjoy the rest of Book Week!

Teen Fiction Tuesday: Scribbler of Dreams

Scribbler of Dreams, by Mary E. Pearson

Publisher: Graphia
Pages: 240
Reading Level: Young Adult
Enjoyment Level: High

I really enjoyed this book! It's a modern-day Romeo & Juliet story that I think fans of Sarah Dessen and the Perfect Chemistry series will really enjoy. It's not too long, but it is deep and touching, and the prose is very beautiful and easy to read. With so much paranormal and fantasy on the YA shelf at bookstores and libraries, I think readers who prefer realistic fiction will really like this one.

In the story, Kaitlin Malone has been raised to hate the Crutchfield family, who has a dangerous past with the Malone family involving friendship, betrayal, lies, and even death. To escape the stigma of her family name, Kaitlin enrolls in a new school using her mother's maiden name and begins falling for a boy at her new school, who is popular and handsome, but sensitive and kind... and a Crutchfield. In order to kepe their relationship alive, Kaitlin continues to lie about who she is and in the process learns even more secrets about their families histories.

I loved that this story wasn't melodramatic. It was emotional and the characters were well-developed, but it never felt like a soap opera. There wasn't any obvious stereotyping or clichéd characters, so it felt like a very realistic situation and I could really "get into" it. It wasn't "oversexed" either. Many YA books today rely on heavy sexual tension and promiscuity to keep the plot exciting, but Pearson's writing and story is interesting enough to keep readers engaged, so I think even younger readers can appreciate this love story. (There is also no profanity.)

Also, the "warring families" was a very interesting obstacle for Kaitlin and Bram to overcome. Most modern-day stories like these deal with race or class issues that keep the lovers from being together, but I really liked that this was a different story and more similar to Romeo & Juliet. I also really liked the pace of how Bram and Kaitlin got together. It wasn't strangers to madly in love in the span of two days. There was growth and development, and I really respected that.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable read and I highly recommend. The writing is really poetic and the story very sweet and interesting.

Happy Reading.

-Renée

Middle-Grade Monday: The Neverending Story

The Neverending Story, by Michael Ende

Publisher: Doubleday, Penguin, and Dutton Children’s Books
Pages: 396
Reading Level: Middle Grade and Up
Enjoyment Level: Highest


I’ve had to give this review a little more care and consideration due to the fact that the book is so near and dear to my heart. I don’t remember the exact circumstances under which I picked it up, but it was after I saw the movie (both one and two). I much, much prefer the book. Recently, I finally got a hardcover copy for my collection, and since it’s Children’s Book Week, I felt it was the right time to get a review in of The Neverending Story.

Bastian is a lonely boy who runs into a bookshop when bullies are chasing him. At the bookshop, he meets an old man, has an interesting discussion, and steals a book that intrigues him. Feeling like the worst person in the world, but needing to read the book, Bastian skips school that day, sitting up in an old attic. He is drawn into the world of Fantastica, where their Empress is dying. As he follows the adventure of Atreyu, who is trying to save the Empress, Bastian realizes that he’s become part of the adventure, and it’s his action that will save or destroy Fantastica.

Anyone who claims to be a fan of YA literature should have read this book already. Even if you don’t like it (which would surprise me), it’s one work of fiction that is very important in the young readers’ market. As important a work as the Harry Potter novels. Why? Because it is the epitome of imagination-on-paper.

Despite its whimsical surface, the story touches on loneliness, neglect, choice, and self-confidence, as well as the ever-declining world of imagination. Bastian must save Fantastica, a world where all stories live, breathe, and interact. He discovers that it’s a world constantly battled by cynicism and “grown-up” worries. Nothing is the major enemy: a villain full of emptiness and despair.

The story is inundated by wonderful, memorable characters who help Bastian on his way to self-discovery and strength. They are all able to give readers the opportunity to remember childhood (if they are grown-ups) and enhance imagination. As Tolkien said, writers are sub-creators, and a world built well will feel real. The Neverending Story is exactly that, with characters in Fantastica that make you believe they exist somewhere.

If you can’t tell, I highly recommend this book. It’s not the easiest book to procure, since it’s been out of print for a while, but if you have a chance, get it. Then read it to yourself. Read it to a child. Everyone who believes in the power of imagination will help save Fantastica for another day.

Welcome to Children’s Book Week.

~ Vilate

13 TO LIFE's Shannon Delany Stops By To Chat About Werewolves

Young Adult Lit Review is excited to welcome 2010 Debut author Shannon Delany for a guest post. Her book THIRTEEN TO LIFE comes out on June 22nd.


I have a confession to make. I write werewolves. And I love it! I’m Shannon Delany, the author of the upcoming 13 to Life series.

You have to understand, when I was growing up I read a lot of stuff. Every birthday and each Christmas I could expect a big box of books thanks to my aunt, a librarian. There would be science fiction and high fantasy and myths and legends—but no werewolves. And certainly no vampires. I’m not exactly sure why. Perhaps there simply weren’t many of those books to read when I was a kid. Or perhaps my well-educated family thought they weren’t worth reading about.

I never attended the horror flicks where vampires, werewolves and creepy clowns ruled. As a matter of fact, the only werewolf/shapeshifter book I read until very recently was “A Walk in Wolf Wood” by Mary Stewart.

But I’ve always loved wolves. I was an outsider in middle school and still on the social fringe in high school. I could relate to the beta wolf—always watching the rest of the pack and wondering what it was like to be an alpha. When I got the chance to be the educational director at a privately owned zoo there were few animals I admired as much as the wolves with mysterious eyes, watching visitors from a distance.

Writing, I always imagined creating a story that would change perceptions and lives. I never imagined writing a werewolf novel.

But I wrote 13 to Life on a whim for a cell phone novel contest. I had no idea it would go anywhere; I just gave it a shot. And it took off. The characters grew. The action and emotion intensified. What started as a simple werewolf novel became layered with subtext and symbolism.

And, after I won the contest (and an agent) my brother called me. “So you’re a werewolf writer?”

I cracked up.

He laughed.

Some people still think that if you write about werewolves (or anything paranormal) you aren’t writing anything worthwhile. We have an unfortunate bias in society about literature. But I think a smart reader can find value in almost any book. Every author raises questions—you just have to find them and think about your answers to them as a reader.

So, yes. I write werewolves. And I love doing it.

Write what you want to and read even more than that.

-Shannon


For more information on Shannon Delany:
http://13toLife.us/blog
http://ShannonDelany.com