Ruby Red

Title: Ruby Red
Author: Kerstin Gier
Reading Level: Young Adult
Release Date: May 10, 2011

Gwyneth has been living in the shadow of her cousin, Charlotte, most of her life. Charlotte is the pretty one, the smart one, the talented one, and the one who has the gene. That is, the time traveling gene that has run in their family for hundreds of years. Charlotte has spent her life being trained for when she is sixteen and she makes her first journey back. Except for when the time comes, it is Gwen who ends up going back instead. When she comes back from her time jump, her life has changed. Her worries about school, homework and clothes have been replaced by worrying about what century she might end up in and when it will happen. The only other person in her time who can go back is Gideon, who is great-looking but doesn’t seem to think much of her and isn’t afraid to show it. Can she and Gideon work together to complete their secret mission in the past or will whoever is out to stop them succeed?

Ruby Red takes a bit of time to get into, but once you do you won’t want to stop. It is the first book in a bestselling German trilogy that is now being translated into English. It left me waiting to learn to read German to read the next one early. The story takes place in London so it has a nice European feel to it with things like the mysterious butler and the old house with hidden doors that they live in. It’s fun to hear about the clothes and customs of the past as Gwyneth goes back. Gwyneth and Gideon are likeable characters who you will be cheering for.

The Bottom Line: This book has ghosts, time travel, secret societies, mystery, action and romance. Once the story gets going it’s a quick read. My main complaint is that I don’t want to wait until the next two books come out to see what happens which is pretty much the best complaint a book can have.

The publisher provided me with an advanced reader's copy of the book for this review. Ruby Red has an expected release date of May 10, 2011.

Putting Makeup on Dead People

Title: Putting Makeup on Dead People
Author: Jennifer Violi
Reading Level: Young Adult
Release Date: July 26, 2011

Donna comes to a startling revelation at the funeral of a classmate. She wants to be a mortician. She hasn’t cared about much since her father died four years ago but she can feel that this is something she really wants. She has just been going through the motions with her friend and family but with this decision, everything in her life starts to change. There is a quote from Rumi in the book that says, “Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the ground.” Donna decides to try to find her way to do that, whether it is spending time with her new Wiccan best friend, learning to “love the whole person” in mortuary school, being with her new artist boyfriend, or just finding out who she is.

Right after reading this book, the grandmother of someone close to me died. I was always horrified by the idea of looking at dead bodies and had always managed to avoid it in the past. I’m so glad I read it because it really helped me understand that the funeral, the makeup, the viewing, they were all for us, the people who were still living. And the people who do the work behind it are giving dignity to our loved one and the chance to mourn and say goodbye for us. This was the perfect book at the right time for me. Even without this, it is an excellent story.

The Bottom Line: Putting Makeup on Dead People is an excellent book about finding yourself in the face of what other people think is right for you. And you can find out a little bit about being a mortician along the way.

The publisher provided me with an advanced reader’s copy of the book for this review. Putting Makeup on Dead People has an expected release date of July 26, 2011.

Shine

Title: Shine

Author: Lauren Myracle

Level: Young Adult

Release Date: May 1, 2011

Cat and Patrick had been inseparable best friends when they were young until Cat had a run in with Tommy, a boy in her school. After that, she withdrew from everyone including her friends, her brother who was once her hero, and Patrick. When she hears the news of Patrick’s attack that left him in a coma, she knows that it is time for her to stop ignoring the world around her and figure out who did it. Patrick was always open about being gay and his attack is viewed as a hate crime but the sheriff of their small North Carolina town blames it on people just passing through. When Cat starts investigating, she finds out secrets she couldn’t have imagined about the people she’s known all her life.

Shine has a very atmospheric feel of a small town Southern community which is at turns charming and repellent. This is a very real-feeling mystery. You can imagine that in Cat’s place you would want to do the same thing to help figure out who would do such a thing. The crime is horrific and might be hard for sensitive readers to handle, but it is sadly not that far off from what you might read in the papers. The mystery will keep you guessing, but the book is just as much about Cat and the choices she makes about how she wants to live her life.

The Bottom Line: Shine is a great book whose characters and story stick with you long after you finish it. It’s a mystery but it’s also a book about saying “yes” to life, even when it’s hard.

The publisher provided me with an advanced reader’s copy of the book for this review. Shine has an expected release date of May 1, 2011.

Mercy

Title: Mercy
Author: Rebecca Lim
Level: Young Adult
Release Date: May 17, 2011

Mercy wakes up in the body of a young girl as she has many times before. She can remember little bits of the last couple of times she has “soul jacked” people. The only thing that is constant is her dreams of Luc, the boy who is her touchstone, and his warnings of the deadly intentions of his eight brothers. This time she finds herself in the body of Carmen, a high school girl on a school bus to Paradise, population 1503. She knows nothing about Carmen or what she should be doing while she is stuck in her body. Mercy finds out that Carmen and her class are in Paradise to join with the local choir in a concert. Her host family is still trying to recover from a tragedy almost two years before. Their daughter, Lauren, was taken from their house. Everyone has given up hope except for Lauren’s cute twin brother, Ryan. Should she use her time stuck in Paradise to help find Lauren or should she worry about herself and Luc’s dire warnings?

Bottom Line:
If you like supernatural fiction but are tired of vampires or weak willed heroines, this is a good book for you. It is the first book in a series, so there are lots of unanswered questions but that is to be expected.

The publisher provided me with an advanced reader's copy of the book for this review. Mercy has an expected release date of May 17, 2011.

Ship Breaker

Title: Ship Breaker
Author Paolo Bacigalupi
Location: J Bacigalupi
Ages: Young Adult

In the future, when monstrous storms batter the Gulf Coast, teenager Nailer struggles to survive as a ship breaker, risking his life daily crawling through the ducts of grounded ships to salvage copper wiring. When he discovers a wrecked clipper ship with one survivor, the daughter of a wealthy shipping company owner, Nailer becomes involved in even greater dangers when he decides to rescue her.

Bottomline:
Interesting post-apocalyptic story about a boy, Nailer, a "ship breaker", who dreams of something more - especially when he sees the "swank" clipper ships zoom by on the water. Soon Nailer becomes "Lucky Boy" and has a few opportunities throw at him, and it's his turn to decide what to do and who his "family" really is. This story is a bit rough, but I was intrigued enough to keep reading. This is the 1st in a trilogy.

Zita the Spacegirl

Title: Zita the Spacegirl
Author: Ben Hatke
Level: grades 2- 5
Location: Graphic Novel J Zita - Indian River is the only branch that currently owns this title

Zita finds something in a meteoriod and accidentally causes her friend to be kidnapped- to another planet. She bravely sends herself through space only to find the planet she arrives at is going to explode from an asteroid in three days! Can she make it through the rusted wastes alive and in time to save her friend from his captors? There are plenty of creatures who want to stop her from menacing robot spiders to screeds and Heavily Armored Mobile Battle Orbs. Will they make it back to Earth ok?

Bottom Line: A quick read with plenty of robots and odd creatures. The panels are easy to follow with the exception of one page. Good color and detailed backgrounds that create feeling. I took this book to my Goddaughter in first grade. She was able to read most of it on her own or use the pictures for help while I was there. She asked me to leave it so she could read it again and was excited when I said I would. She thought it was cool. Her sister in fourth grade also read the book and agreed that is was good and wanted to know if there would be another book about Zita. I agree with them. I hope to meet Zita again somewhere in space.
http://www.graphicnovelreporter.com/content/spacing-out-interview-ben-hatke-interview

Title: Darkness Becomes Her
Author: Kelly Keaton
Reading Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Keaton (when it comes in)


With her striking features, particularly her unusual, silver hair, growing up in the foster system meant spats of emotional, physical and sexual abuse through her childhood but Ari emerged a strong, capable young woman despite it all. Now that she is nearing her eighteenth birthday and finally with a foster family that trained her to be both physically and mentally strong, Ari sets out on a personal search for the mother she never knew. What she finds at Rocquemore House, the mental asylum that was her mother's last known residence, reveals a note written by her now-deceased mother begging her daughter to run for her life and avoid New Orleans, now called New 2.

Since a devastating hurricane wreaked massive destruction on New Orleans, the government allowed nine wealthy, powerful investors to purchase the city and run it as they saw fit with no intervention. New 2 is now rumored to harbor all types of supernatural beings, although few know which stories are true and which are created for the more daring tourists.

Shortly after receiving her letter, a massive, hulking man with a huge sword attacks Ari and attempts to kill her. Ari is now convinced that if she is ever going to come to terms with her past, she must try to follow the trail of her mother's life, which begins in New 2. With the help of new friend, Sebastian, Ari discovers the curse that has haunted the women in her family for centuries. Its now up to Ari, to find a way to break the curse so she can be the first among them to survive.

I actually loved certain aspects of this book but I felt that it could have been executed a little better as a whole. The storyline was extremely inventive, very unique compared to many of the YA paranormal/paranormal romances that have been published lately. I enjoyed that the author set the book in a city familiar to her readers but entirely different than the city they know. One of my favorites parts of the book was the way the author unfolded New 2 through Ari's eyes.

Speaking of Ari, she is an amazing character. She's tough, she swears and she does not hesitate to stand up for herself and pursue her own interests. The only real complaint I had with this book was with the romance and the relationships Ari finds with characters in New 2. One second Ari is understandably wary of this (of course brooding, dark-haired) guy, and two chapters later, she is snuggling with him and making out. People automatically befriend her in New 2 and they are instantly willing to give their lives for her by the end. This inconsistency pulled me out of the story making it all seem ridiculous at times. I also felt that the ending, while satisfying, was rushed and somewhat anti-climactic. Despite these flaws, I enjoyed this book and I think many teens will look past some of my issues and really identify with Ari and her quest. Like I said, she is a great character and how often do we come across such an inspiring, strong abuse victim in paranormal YA fiction? Definitely give it a try, I think many will enjoy it.

The Bottom Line: Darkness Becomes Her was a good read, with an inventive storyline and a strong character I think teens will really appreciate. Despite some of its shortcomings, I enjoyed and would recommend it to fans of YA paranormal fiction and paranormal romance. It definitely looks like this is the first of a planned series so be on the lookout for the next, I know I will!

The publisher provided me with an advanced reader's copy of the book for this review. Darkness Becomes Her has an expected release date of February 22, 2011. Be sure to check it out when its released!

Gifted- Now You See me

Title: Now You See Me
Author: Marilyn Kaye
Level: teen/young adult
Location: YA Kaye





Now You See Me is book five in the Gifted series and it is also a stand alone title. This is the first book from the series that I read, but I was able to follow everything fine. There are a few mentions of events from previous books, but enough information is given that I could get the gist of what occurred. This series is based on a class of "gifted" students. These students are not necessarily intellectually gifted, but rather have something about them that makes each one unique and different in away that might make them stand out. In the class they are learning how to control their gifts and use them more at will. The gifts are things like mind reading, becoming invisible, taking over someone else's body. Someone is a trader and out to exploit them. They must find out who before all their lives are endangered. Jenna has already been sent to a juvie home where she is cut off from everyone. Who's the next one to disappear from class?

Bottom Line: A quick, entertaining , stand alone read from the Gifted series. After reading this title I wanted to find some of the previous books. We learn how some of the students acquired the gifts that make them different (like moving objects with the mind) and what each student's gift is, a little bit about the relationships among the gifted students, and why they might be the traitor. Tracey is the key person in this story as she plays a big part in finding out how information about them is getting out of the classroom and who is trying to use them. The book ends with a standoff so there is sure to be another title in the series.

Falling for Hamlet

Title: Falling for Hamlet
Author: Michelle Ray
Reading Level: Young Adult
Release Date: July 2011

Falling for Hamlet is a modern retelling of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet told by Ophelia, Hamlet’s on-again and off-again girlfriend. Hamlet is the Prince of modern day Denmark. Ophelia lives in the castle as the daughter of Polonius, advisor to the King. She and Hamlet have known each other since they were young and have been together, mostly, since she was 15. Now, three years later, tragedy befalls Hamlet and those surrounding him. Can their relationship survive being in the spotlight? Can any of them survive, period?

Hamlet is my favorite play, so I was a little apprehensive about a “modern retelling.” It turns out this book made me love it and the play even more. This is definitely not the book to read as a cliffs notes version of the real thing. The story is told after the fact by Ophelia, so there are obviously some major plot differences. You could also read this without having read the play and enjoy it. It is a quick, engrossing read. Each chapter is told in three different styles with the beginning being a talk show style interview, the middle being what really happened, and the ending being the police interview transcript. This is Michelle Ray’s first novel. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next.

The Bottom Line:
I highly recommend this book to fans of Hamlet, those who like to read about the affects of fame on people, or anyone who likes a good tragedy.


The publisher provided me with an advanced reader's copy of the book for this review. Falling for Hamlet has an expected release date of July 2011.

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares

Title: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares
Author: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Reading Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Cohn R.

On one of Dash's trips to the Strand, a huge book store in New York City, he finds a red moleskin notebook placed on the shelf between two books by his favorite author. When he opens them up, he finds the words:

"I've left some clues for you. If you want them, turn the page. If you don't, put the book back on the shelf, please."

Unable to resist the temptation, he follows the clues, writes the answers in and leaves the notebook. What follows is a back and forth game between Dash and Lily, the owner of the red notebook, that leads them all over the city. What was looking like a boring Christmas break turns into a game that neither wants to end. Should they risk losing what they built together for the chance to meet and maybe have something more?

This book does a good job of capturing how it's sometimes easier to be closer to someone you've never met. The characters are quirky and flawed, which I always like. Maybe my favorite part of the book is the feeling you get of New York City at Christmas. I would love to go on some of the adventures that Dash and Lily "dare" each other to do. The book is about the romance, but it's also about knowing who you are, stretching yourself and just getting out there.

The two authors have a unique style of writing. David Levithan wrote a chapter from Dash's prespective, then he would email it on to Rachel Cohn to write a chapter for Lily. Neither knew what the other one would write before it happened which mirrored how it was for Lily and Dash. Levithan and Cohn are also the authors of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist and Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List.

The Bottom Line:
This is one of the best Christmas books I've read. It's a novel idea with believable characters and a great setting. I'm definitely going to check out their other books after reading this.