Fantasy Friday: The Lost Saint

The Lost Saint, by Bree Despain

Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pages: 461
Reading Level: 12 and up
Enjoyment Level: Very High

The non-stop sequel to The Dark Divine delivers an even hotter romance and more thrilling action than Bree Despain's first novel. Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She gave her soul to the wolf to save him and lost her beloved mother. When Grace receives a haunting phone call from Jude, she knows what she must do. She must become a Hound of Heaven. Desperate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot - a newcomer to town who promises her that he can help her be a hero. But as the two grow closer, the wolf grows in Grace, and her relationship with Daniel begins to crumble. Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace becomes prideful in her new abilities - not realizing that an old enemy has returned and deadly trap is about to be sprung.

I started reading this book with a nervous twitch in my stomach. I knew something bad or difficult was going to happen and I didn't know if I could handle it. I had fallen in love with these people through the first book, but with my nervous twitch in place I started reading. Since this is the second book, I knew the main characters really well. Grace is a good, strong female lead even while making mistakes; maybe even because of her mistakes. Her feelings and frustrations were readily accessible and believable. I was right there with her even through the times I wanted to choke her and scream at her when she made bad decisions! Luckily, the screaming was only in my head.

Daniel was just as compelling and frustrating. You know what he feels for Grace and all that he would do for her. Knowing all that, I was screaming at him a lot, too. He was also really believable and solid.

Both of them had to deal with the decisions made at the end of the first book, and I think that they did it very realistically. Ms. Despain made it easy to be there with Grace as she dealt with her depressive mother and absent father. Although some of her choices were not the best, I believe she was doing her best.

The other characters, new and old, did nothing but help the story along at a frustrating (in a good way), but workable pace. I never thought to myself "oh my gosh this makes no sense", or "could we move along here?”

The wayward brother Jude - the main driving force for Grace is an enigma. Is he more wolf? more human? Ms. Despain does a really good job of keeping you guessing the whole time. There was no point in the book where I thought I had it figured out before Grace did.

New and old characters work together to bring frustration, chaos, hope, love, and a completely crazy ending to the readers!

Thank you Ms. Despain. I was there, nervous, the entire time. If you loved the first book I have a feeling you will agree with me. I loved this one and can't wait for the next one.

:Thyra:

We have two ARC copies of The Lost Saint to giveaway, and each one has a little bottle of blue nail polish specially designed for The Lost Saint.

To enter:

1) be a blog follower
2) leave a comment on this blog entry
3) tweet, FB, or blog about this contest (include links in your blog comment)

The deadline to enter is February 11, 2011. Winners will be chosen and announced the following Wednesday. Good luck!

Teen Fiction Tuesday: The False Princess

The False Princess, by Eilis O'Neal

Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pages: 336
Reading Level: 12 and up
Enjoyment Level: Very high


It’s books like The False Princess that help me remember how much I love a straight fantasy story. I’ve seen so many urban and realistic fantasy recently that sometimes I forget that high, epic, and classic fantasy were all favorites of mine in junior high and high school.

From GoodReads:

Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia's led a privileged life at court. But everything changes when it's revealed, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection. Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city of Vivaskari, her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she's ever known.

Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks. But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.

Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever.

I loved the characters in this. Sinda is likeable, and I found it very easy to empathize with her. She made sense to me, and her reactions to her situation felt natural and very understandable. I felt awful when she was ejected from the life she’d always known, and I cheered when she finally realized what she was meant to do.

The other characters were fun, and they complemented her well. I love Keirnan! What a great, heroic, sweet, but still somewhat frustrating guy. He made it easy to like him and made it easy to root for him with Sinda.

I found the plot a lot less predictable than I thought, which is always a good thing. I thought I had it pretty much figured out until the author threw in the kicker… I won’t tell you what it is, since this is recently published – just don’t get too caught up in thinking you know what’s going on.

This is a great book to read when you need something light, but it’s also deep enough to give you something to sink your reading teeth into. I love the fantasy elements, as well as the mystery and the adventure. And the romance doesn’t hurt, either.

Until next time, go read something!

~ Vilate

MiddleGrade Monday: Tortilla Sun

Tortilla Sun, by Jennifer Cervantes

Publisher: Chronicle Books
Pages: 218
Reading Level: MiddleGrade
Enjoyment Level: Medium


MiddleGrade isn’t usually my thing, but Jennifer was nice enough to chat with my on the podcast for an episode of Writer’s Desk (check it our HERE). I like to make sure that I get reviews for authors who appear on the show…

From GoodReads:

A tender, magical story about 12 year old Izzy Roybal who is sent to spend the summer in her nana’s New Mexico village where she is soon caught up in the foreign world of her own culture, from patron saints and soulful food to the curious and magical blessings Nana gives her tortillas. In Nana’s village she meets Mateo, the adventurous, treasure seeking thirteen year old boy who lives on the other side of the bolted door in Izzy’s bedroom and six year old Maggie who is raising her cat, Frida, as a dog and sees marshmallow ghosts float out windows. When the wind begins to whisper to Izzy, she is soon led on an adventure to learn about her father’s mysterious death, who she really is, and to connect the hidden pieces of her past.

Although I liked the story, and I loved the setting details, the pacing is a little slow for me. I found myself putting the book down very easily, which isn’t just because I don’t usually do middlegrade books – there are quite a few MGs that I enjoy. I just found that Tortilla Sun wasn’t what I expected in the pacing department.

The characters are very well-done, though. I found Izzy’s journey to be natural and without contrivances to weigh her down. The mystery surrounding Izzy’s father and her mother’s past were both great incentives for her to search out answers.

I can say that the best part of the book was how well the culture was woven in to the storyline. The New Mexico setting and the town Izzy visits are vivid and bright. Definitely not over-the-top with ethnic and cultural references. It just blended so well with Izzy’s journey. And it made me hungry for homemade tortillas.

This is a good one for classrooms and school libraries. I can see a bright future for the author and I am very interested to see what she comes out with next.

Until next time, go read something!

~ Vilate

Three Viewpoint Thursday: The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin

On a regular basis, we get together to participate in an on-line book chat which we have dubbed: Three Viewpoint Thursdays.  This time, we read Josh Berk's The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin. 

Description from GoodReads:
 Being a hefty, deaf newcomer almost makes Will Halpin the least popular guy at Coaler High. But when he befriends the only guy less popular than him, the dork-namic duo has the smarts and guts to figure out who knocked off the star quarterback. Will can’t hear what’s going on, but he’s a great observer. So, who did it? And why does that guy talk to his fingers? And will the beautiful girl ever notice him? (Okay, so Will’s interested in more than just murder . . .)

Those who prefer their heroes to be not-so-usual and with a side of wiseguy will gobble up this witty, geeks-rule debut.


Aly: So are we ready to start the chat?

Vi: Sounds good.

Aly: We read The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk. A 2010 debut book. What was everyone's initial impressions?

Vi: Good pacing and an interesting main character. I liked how the story developed, though I was expecting it to be a little more like a mystery, where the death didn't end up happening until quite a ways into the story. I wasn't disappointed, since the overall story was great, but it just wasn't what I first thought it would be.

Renee: I thought it was alright. It isn't the sort of book I would usually pick up, but I was surprised by how funny it was. The voice was strong and it had great humor, although story-wise it is outside my usual tastes.

Aly: I had mixed feelings about this book. First, I liked the humor. Second, I liked the story better when they got more into the mystery. I wasn't expecting a mystery at all but I liked that part of it. I found the first part a little slow. And I had a few issues with the deafness part of it. I think Anthony John's Five Flavors of Dumb which I just read spoiled me because it was such the stronger book (and also had a deaf main character.)

Vi: I'll have to read that one. I don't think I've read much where there are deaf characters, especially not main characters. I would say I thought it was handled well, but as I don't have much experience, I can't say there isn't anything better. I liked Halpin pretty well. I found the mixture of his issues as an overweight teen boy blended with his issues as a deaf boy, so overall, it worked for me.

Aly: Since I have a degree in Deaf Ed and attended Gallaudet, I can be kind of picky about the deafness piece. In some ways, I think that the deafness aspect did not add as much as I had hoped and if it was left out it would be fine.  Back to this topic - did you feel that at times it seemed to stereotype boy humor?

Renee: I mean there was a lot of appropriate slang and phrases that felt "boyish" and appropriate for the age group (as far as I know) so that was one element of the story that didn't feel forced or anything.

Vi: I don't think I felt like anything was stereotyped. To me, it all felt natural for Halpin, and nothing sticks out to me as forced or sloppy. It made sense to the situations he ended up in.

Aly: I was just curious about it. I think the humor and the situations in the gym, etc. were pretty accurate.

Aly: So were there things that you specifically liked or didn't like with the book? Characters that grew on you?

Vi: I liked Devon. Even though he's the nerdy sidekick, he's also quirky, and not cliche as a sidekick. I liked the way the character was handled, and how there was still doubt as to his guilt/innocense even though he was so nice and fun. He was probably my favorite aspect of the book.

Renee: Character-wise, I liked Halpin. He was earnest and funny without being whiny or victimized. It was interesting take on a narrator with a disability. My favorite aspect of the book was probably that they included so many instant messages, newspaper clippings, letters, etc. I liked breaking up the narrative with these excerpts to keep it fresh.

Aly: Actually I thought Halpin and Devon made a good pair. Liked the references to the Hardy Boys and then Nancy Drew when Ebony joined in. The texting, and all of the fingerspelling parts were cool. I just felt that aside from Halpin and Devon most of the other characters were kind of flat? Or was that just me?

Vi: I did feel like the mystery part got a little lost because we didn't get as much of the other characters as we did of the two boys. The ending came as more of a surprise to me than I thought it should. But I liked how the "big party" wove in and out of the plot, and either including or ousting various characters along the way. So even though some of the characters felt more like they were in the background, the "big party" kind of made up for it. Also, I actually kind of thought the author might've meant to do it. Sort of a by-product of the main character not being quite in on everything and everyone else.

Renee: I felt that Ebony was also a bit developed, but not as much as the two boys, and especially someone like Leigha, who was mentioned so much, I expected more from the author when it came to character-building.

Aly: I think this is one book that I would have suggest be a tad bit longer and in the first part flesh out the other players a little more. But Vi, I like your thought about it being a "by-product of the main character not being quite in on everything". It may also be partially due to this being a first time author. I would hang in there for future books and see where he goes. And Renee, I agree I was surprised that Leigha didn't have more. The conclusion almost comes at a surprise in some ways.

Vi: I'd be interested to see where he goes next. I'd actually like to see more of Halpin and Devon. As relationships go, theirs is fun and I feel like there's a lot more to explore.

Aly: I am not sure where to go next with this. The book seemed short in some ways. Were there other things that jumped out at you? Things that struck you? Things you liked or disliked?

Renee: Well, I noticed that this book showed up on several lists of "best YA of 2010" or similar, so I was just wondering why you think this resonated so much with critics/readers? Is it just because it starred a boy with a disability or what?

Vi: I actually think it's because Halpin is a likeable guy, and the chemistry between him and Devon is great. Despite a somewhat lackluster cast of other characters, the two boys are written well. And it's something of an underdog, with an underdog main character. People tend to gravitate towards that sort of thing. Oh, and as for other things that I liked, I loved the way the other mystery, of the miner Dummy Halpin, was "solved". It was pretty great, and I wasn't expecting it at all.

Aly: Renee - I think that the humor of the book and the male character that isn't your typical popular guy is part of what attracted people. And I think that it is a mystery makes it something that people like as well. I agree with Vi in that the two mysteries and how there were solved was fun.

Vi: I just looked up Josh Berk's page, and it looks like he's working on a new mystery novel that's set to publish in 2012. Not a Hamburger Halpin book, but sounds interesting anyway. ^_^

Aly: Thanks Vi...like I said I will definitely check out a second book and see how his writing develops.

Renee: I might read more of his stuff in the future, because his prose was direct and the voice of the MC was strong and funny, but this one disappointed me a bit considering how much hype it has received.

Aly: I think there are quite a few books that get hyped up and aren't really as good as the hype. But I think because of the short chapters and that it did pick up that I would give him another shot.

Vi: I'm definitely interested in seeing more from this author, and I think Hamburger Halpin makes a good book for boys.

Aly: Yes, I think this is one book that would connect more with boys.

Renee: Yep, definitely a "boy's" book, but I think it had more crossover as being "gender-neutral" than Vladimir Todd (from what I can recall).

Aly: Thanks everyone for all their thoughts on this book.  This was a great chat.

Sci-fi Sunday: Candor

Candor, by Pam Bachorz

Publisher: Egmont, USA
Pages: 249
Reading Level: 14 and Up
Enjoyment Level: High

This was an impulse buy at the Austin Teen Book Festival a few weeks ago. I had a little extra cash and decided to spend it on Candor after hearing Pam Bachorz in her panel.

From GoodReads:

Oscar Banks has everything under control. In a town where his father brainwashes everyone, he's found a way to secretly fight the subliminal Messages. He's got them all fooled: Oscar's the top student and the best-behaved teen in town. Nobody knows he's made his own Messages to deprogram his brain. Oscar has even found a way to get rich. For a hefty price, he helps new kids escape Candor, Florida before they're transformed into cookie-cutter teens. But then Nia Silva moves to Candor, and Oscar's carefully-controlled world crumbles.

On one hand, this book is seriously creepy. Controlling people with subliminal messages isn’t necessarily a new concept, but Candor puts an interesting spin on the idea. Oscar’s father doles out subliminal messages to everyone, but he caters to wealthy parents who want to control and change their children. It pings my creepy-bone to think that there would be people out there who pay someone to subliminally alter their kids, just because something isn’t good enough.

And on the other hand, it’s not exactly a horror story. Oscar is a pretty likeable guy. Even though he aims to profit off the kids he helps, there’s still a strong thread of decency for him, which helps him as the story progresses. He makes some mistakes, but ultimately makes the right choices and he develops into a self-sacrificing guy.

The pacing of the book is good. I couldn’t put it down, but didn’t feel like I had to rush through it to find out how it all turned out. There were plenty of places where I had to put it down because of the tingly, weird feeling that someone was watching me…

This is what good science fiction should always be. It’s fiction, but it’s plausible. Strong characters drive the novel, making the science seem even more plausible. Oscar is a great male lead, and the whole thing is interesting enough to get older reluctant readers to pick it up and enjoy it.

Until next time, go read something!


~ Vilate

Winner: Behemoth

I am, of course, really late getting this winner announced. It's been an interesting month...

But I'm happy to say that mathsie is has won herself a copy of Behemoth, by Scott Westerfeld. Please email me to claim your prize! :) blogger@yaliteraturereview.com

Thanks everyone who entered, and keep an eye out for our next contest.


~ Vilate

Teen Fiction Tuesday: When it Happens

When It Happens, by Susane Colasanti

Publisher: Speak
Pages: 310
Reading Level: 15 and up
Enjoyment Level: medium/high


I found this book simply by browsing. I get half of my books just randomly. I liked what I read on the back cover so I got it.

Reminiscent of the movie, Say Anything, a debut novel for all those searching for The One!

Sara and Tobey couldn't be more different. She is focused on getting into her first-choice college; he wants to win Battle of the Bands. Sara's other goal is to find true love, so when Dave, a popular jock, asks her out, she's thrilled. But then there's Tobey. His amazing blue eyes and quirky wit always creep into her thoughts. It just so happens that one of Tobey's goals is also to make Sara fall in love with him. Told in alternating points of view, Sara and Tobey's real connection will have everyone rooting for them from the minute they meet!

I like a good love story. It doesn’t have to be complicated - just a love story. This is one of those. High school problems, boy meets girl, boy pisses girl off, girl forgives boy, and they run off to college together. The characters were fun and frustrating at times to me and to each other.

It all worked - there wasn’t any point in the book that I said “huh? “ I believed these people, I liked these people. They had me rooting for them and their relationship even in the moments that they weren’t. There is something so fabulous about such an uncomplicated love story.

I would recommend this book to an older audience; there are some mature situations and language in this book.

: Thyra :