Rapture a Fallen novel

Title:  Rapture

Author:  Lauren Kate
Location:  YA Kate
Level:  12-19
 

Rapture, the final book in the Fallen series, begins with everyone returning from the announcers fear struck because Lucifer has caused the fall to happen again by using an announcer.  Should he succeed and reach Earth everyone will be wiped out.  History from the moment of the fall on will be rewritten.  Of course, this means Daniel and Luce will lose any knowledge they have gained to fight the curse.  Both sides agree they must find the site of the original fall if they are to stop Lucifer, but no one remembers where it is.  On the quest to find artifacts that can help them find the site they battle the Outcasts, the Scale and the Council of the Elders.  They are all counting on Luce to remember in time to save not just her relationship with Daniel but all of them.

This novel is much better than Passion, the third book, with minimal announcer travel.  I think I actually liked it better than any of the other books because Luce is thinking for herself, asking questions, and remembering.  Instead of being blinded or confused and questioning love, she is acting with love.  Make no mistake this is a love story and a good one. 

Bottom Line:  I was happy and satisfied with Rapture, the final book in the Fallen series.  Something I have suspected from the other books is revealed in this one.  At last readers will learn just how pure Daniel’s love for Lucinda is and why everyone seems to be waiting for something to change with her.  She truly does love Daniel as well. ( Only one announcer!)

Click on Fallen in the tags to see reviews of the other books in the series.

Uncommon Criminals

Title:  Uncommon Criminals a Heist Society novel

Author:  Ally Carter
Location:  YA Carter
Level:  11 years & up

In this Heist Society novel Kat Bishop has found a way to use her skills without actually being part of the family business.  Thanks to Visily Romani she can steal artwork so it can be returned to it’s rightful owners.  Thus, not really stealing, but righting a wrong.  Kat is starting to think she is pretty good on her own when she is approached by someone about getting Cleopatra’s emerald back from an unscrupulous dealer.  The lady says she was sent by Visily Romani.  But this particular gem is said to be cursed and trying to steal it is forbidden by Uncle Eddie.  Gabrielle and Hale try their best to talk Kat out of the job, but ultimately decide to help her.  Slowly the crew all comes back together, only Cleopatra’s emerald is the only thing being taken.

Bottom Line:  Uncommon Criminal  is written in much the same way as the first book.  Again a fairly light, fun read.  There is more going on between Kat and Hale this time.  A few kisses, but an otherwise good read for tweens and younger teens.  It’s fun trying to figure out how Kat and her crew are pulling off the heist.

Hallowed

Title:  Hallowed- An Unearthly novel

Author:  Cynthia Hand

Location:  YA Hand

Level:  13 AND UP

Hallowed is the second book in the Unearthly series.  This series does need to be read in order.  As a warning, this review may spoil some aspect of Unearthly if you haven’t read it yet.

 Hallowed starts out much like Unearthly did.  School has started, Clara has changed her hair color again, and she is having a new vision.  From her vision she knows someone she loves will die.  This is quite naturally affecting her and she pushes in areas she may not have if the vision was clearer.  As she starts trying to decipher her vision her mother begins answering some of Clara’s angel questions, although not always to her liking.  The angel club is meeting with Jeffery as an added member.  He seems to be acting a bit odd, but it could just be the teen years.  Then their Mom surprises them when she finally lets them meet the angel community through a big campout.  From that point on everything changes.  Secrets are revealed, some thrilling and others devastating. Christian continues to try to get closer to her at a cost to her relationship with Tucker. Clara feels sorrow like never before and is desperate to protect those she loves from Samjeeza.

Bottom Line:  The continuation of the Unearthly series, Hallowed, doesn’t disappoint.  I was concerned when it began much the same way as Unearthly did, but it soon picked up steam.  Samjeeza returns to make life uncomfortable.   Jeffery plays a bigger role than he did in the first book.   Some major things are revealed which help explain some characters previous actions and will change life for Clara.  I enjoyed Hallowed and would recommend it to anyone who liked Unearthly or angel stories.

Fallen in Love

Title:  Fallen in Love

Author:  Lauren Kate
Location:  YA Kate:
Level: 12 and up

Fallen in love is part of the Fallen series, but it is not necessary to read it to continue following the story line.  This book is more of an aside.  It is broken into four sections, each four chapters long, telling the love stories of some of the more prominent characters starting with Shelby and Niles falling in love.  Really?  Didn’t we see that developing in the last book?  Roland’s and Arriane’s sections reveal a bit more about them.  The last section is of course Lucinda and Daniel.  It doesn’t give you their history at all.  I felt like I was reading Passion again, which isn’t a good thing.  There is one romantic scene, but it isn't enough to make the book worth the time invested.  The best part about the whole book is the inclusion of Rapture’s first chapter.

Bottom Line:  Don’t waste your time on this one.  I think someone is trying to get more money than the series is worth.  It may pass for eh or ok, but I think we deserved better after making it through Passion.  If you truly feel a need to pick it up just read the section about Roland and Arriane.

Starters

Title: Starters
Author: Lissa Price
Reading Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Price (when released)

Summary

After all adults between the age of 20 and 60 died during the Spore Wars, the United States is basically controlled by the Enders, those adults over the age of 60 who were vaccinated against the spores. The Starters, kids and teens under the age of 20 also vaccinated against the spores, must rely on protection from older relatives or find a way to survive on the streets. Ever since her mother and father died, Callie has been living in abandoned buildings with her younger brother and trying to avoid getting rounded up by the marshals, forced into slave labor or pummeled by hostile starters. However, Tyler is sick and getting worse. Callie must find some way to get money for medicine and food so he can recover.

Then another homeless starter tells her about Prime Destinations. Starters can sign over their body to be rented by a rich Ender. Meanwhile, the starter exists in a peaceful state of oblivion. At the end of the three-rental contract, the Ender walks away with their exciting youthful experience, and the Starter receives a ton of cash. Although Callie has reservations she signs up. It seems easy enough and they really need the money. But when Callie wakes up during a rental in the life of a rich ender, she knows things are getting weird. She can hear the renter’s voice in her head whispering one warning, “Don’t go back to Prime Destinations.”

Now, on the run but with her renter’s resources and a helpful new friend named Blake, Callie must figure out the evil aspirations of the Old Man who owns Prime Destinations before her life and that of other Starters is snuffed out for good.

Review

I have to say, Starters was actually pretty amazing, much better than I thought it would be from the description. The main character, Callie, is someone you want to see win. She is incredibly smart. Her father prepared her for a potential life on the streets, so she is sufficiently tough and understands how her world works and ways to circumvent the system to survive. She has one goal, to keep her brother safe, and she never wavers from that commitment throughout the entire book. Even when she wakes up in the life of the wealthy ender, she has a hard time letting herself have any fun. She is loyal and very goal-oriented. You almost feel sorry that she can’t just be a normal teenage girl.

The story itself, while not always action-packed, is incredibly tense throughout. Even when Callie was not running from Prime Destinations or holding people hostage, I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know how it would all turn out. The Old Man is a sufficiently creepy villain. I was literally cringing anytime Callie’s plans included confronting him. There is a huge reveal near the end that I, embarrassingly, did not see coming. While many plot threads in this story wrapped up in a satisfying way, a surprising cliffhanger will keep readers coming back for more.  The last book in this two-book series, Enders, is reportedly due to be released on December 4, 2012.

The Bottom Line:  Starters was an exciting dystopia that I can honestly say reminds me, in some ways, of The Hunger Games. You have a strong heroine, good side characters, fun action scenes and an evil man as the main villain. This book kept me absolutely engrossed in the story and ravenously reading until the wee hours of the morning. Give it to fans of The Hunger Games, Incarceron and the dystopia genre in general.

The Publisher provided me with an advanced copy, through netgalley, for this review. Starters will be released on March 13, 2012

Carrier of the Mark

Title: Carrier of the Mark
Author: Leigh Fallon
Level: 12 and up
Location: YA Fallon

Within the first couple chapters of Carrier of the Mark I was apprehensive about continuing. It seemed to be following what I call the Twilight formula (Wait! Read the explanation before you decide not to read the book.) A girl moves to new place with her father, no mother in picture. The first day of school there’s a great looking guy that she is attracted to, but he acts weirdly towards her. Her new BFF and her associates warn her not to bother. There are rumors about his family. Then she meets his sister who seems to like her. He saves her when there is an accident. Sounds too familiar, but that is where this book continues on a different course. In Carrier of the Mark the mark has nothing to do with vampires or werewolves. Instead Megan, Adam DeRis and his siblings are marked as vessels for the four elements; originally created by the goddess Danu, who managed the elements keeping them aligned to maintain a perfect balance. Now that Megan, the fourth element, is present they must fulfill their true purpose. They have a protector, provided by an ancient order, The Order of the Mark, and a group called the Knox, who wants to take their powers for their own use. Megan has to learn how to call on her element and control it in time for the alignment that can only take place during the summer solstice, all without being found by the Knox. Oh, and she must figure out a way she and Adam can be together with fullfilling the 5th prophecy.

Bottom Line: Once I was past the similarities to the beginning of Twilight I found Carrier of the Mark to be interesting. The premise of a Celtic goddess who created humans to give her abilities to, a secret sect, the history of the marked ones and the Knox who are after them will keep you reading even if you aren’t into the romance between the teens.

Book Review: Beautiful Chaos

Title: Beautiful Chaos
Authors: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Garcia

Spoiler Warning: Beautiful Chaos is the 3rd book in the Caster Chronicles. If you have not yet read Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful Darkness, skip ahead to The Bottom Line. This review has spoilers for the first two books.

If you thought Lena claiming herself in Beautiful Darkness was an end to all Ethan and Lena’s troubles, you were completely wrong. Lena’s claiming has left the town of Gatlin on the verge of a full-scale apocalypse, sweltering heat waves, massive earthquakes and ravenous locusts are just a few of the things bent on destroying Gatlin. If that isn’t enough, Ethan is losing memories – parts of his life are simply vanishing from his mind – including the taste of Amma’s cooking. However, when the world is falling apart this time, Amma, Macon and the rest of Lena’s caster family is powerless to stop it. The caster’s abilities are backfiring and Amma is delving into magic darker than any before. Will Ethan, Lena and their friends figure out a way to put a stop to this chaos before it’s too late?

Wow, this was an amazing book! I enjoyed the 2nd book in the series but it did not entirely live up to my expectations. However, Beautiful Chaos, was a home run in every way. I was pretty annoyed with Lena after the last book. In this book, Lena is starting to develop a little more as a character and you understand her past actions much better by the end. You also get some absolutely fascinating glimpses into Seraphine’s past before she was dark caster and right after she was claimed.

Ethan is experiencing a multitude of problems in this book which lends the story its darker tone. The events of the last two books coupled with the plethora of problems he faces in this book help him to develop into a more complete character while simultaneously giving him a bleaker outlook on his situation. Through Ethan’s narration, you really sense the foreboding atmosphere descending on the once-peaceful town of Gatlin. Everything seems to be swirling hopelessly out of control and the stunning cliffhanger ending does nothing to relieve the tension. Have some tissues handy, you will need them! Now that my faith in this series is restored, I am happily looking forward to returning to Gatlin for the fourth and final book. It should be amazing!

The Bottom Line: If you enjoyed the first two books in the Caster Chronicles you will LOVE this one! All of the problems from previous books are nothing compared to the absolute chaos that descends on the people and town in this book. The cliffhanger ending is a little hard to take, but it makes sense for the larger story. Fans will ravenously devour this one and be waiting on pins and needles for the final book due out in 2012.

Legend

Title: Legend
Author: Marie Lu
Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Lu

In the future the Republic of America, once known as the western United States of America, is at war with the eastern colonies. The plague is a constant threat, especially if you can’t afford a vaccine. Ten year olds report to a guarded stadium for The Trial, which decides if one gets to go to college and which one, or even high school. Others will be sent to factory jobs and those that fail are sent to labor camps never to be seen again.

Day is considered a criminal and the number one enemy of the Republic. His fingerprints don’t show up in any government records. He’s trying to hurt the Republic and help his family survive. He’s tough, resourceful, observant, and skeptical. He makes bombs, but doesn’t kill people or try to hurt them unnecessarily. He can emphasize and sympathize with others. He seems to be the complete package, combining the good traits of both Peeta and Gail from Hunger Games. He’s more up front than Four in Divergent.

June lives a privileged life with her brother, the only family she has, and attends the top college where at age fifteen she is in her final year. She has a problem following rules, but is totally committed to the Republic. She seems a little gullible at first, but that might be the circumstances of grief. She comes off as a bit of a brat at first, but she starts growing and changing early on in the story. She has the physical abilities of both Katniss (Hunger Games) and Triss (Divergent) plus some. She’s better at faking than Katniss and can figure out when she has been played in time to do something about it.

Both of these characters try to avenge a loved one’s death. Both are very intelligent. Imagine what might happen if they shared information and started connecting the dots when things don’t make sense.

Legend has plenty of action, a change to try to figure things out, suspense, and a bit of romance. A fan of Hunger Games or Divergent here’s a book for you! I really liked the use of a different font and color for the two characters. It made it easy to switch back and forth between the two narratives. The end of the story is a slight disappointment as it could be the end of the story, which isn’t a great ending, actually a fizzle after all the suspense, but it is also written in a way that leaves an opening for more. After all, can they really let the Republic get away with what they know it is doing now.


Bottom Line: Liked it, liked it, liked it! I’ve already recommended the book to three people while writing this review. By the second time I picked it up I didn’t want to put it down until I finished. Legend is a fast read dystopian full of action in what may be a series or trilogy. It has a strong likeable male character, Day, and a strong female character, June, who will grow on you as she grows through the book. Nothing is ever as it seems in a dystopian world and once these two stop fighting each other they uncover the Republic’s secrets and cover ups. Guys will like this one. For fans of Hunger Games and Divergent this is a must read (Unless you hated Mockingjay).

Fateful

Title: Fateful

Author: Claudia Gray

Level: Young Adult

Location: YA Gray C.

Fateful is the story of Tess Davies, a ladies maid who will accompany her family on a voyage to the United States. She has been saving every cent so she can leave the troubled family and stay in the states when the ship makes port. The ship is the Titanic. Think you know this story?

The night before the ship sails Tess is sent on an errand in the dark. A stranger grabs her and saves her from a wolf. Then he tells her to get away from him as fast as she can. Both the wolf and the stranger are on the Titanic. The rich have many secrets.

The attitudes and secrets of the Lisle family are believable, as is the treatment of foreigners. The American rich treating the serving class of Europe well felt like a stretch to me. If you are willing to overlook this there are love stories to discover. Tess falls hard for her love even while she is questioning his intentions and putting herself in life risking situations for him. Mikhail, the Russian, drips evil. His malice is felt even before he is seen. And the stranger who saved her? He is tormented by his own secrets.


Bottom Line: Fateful is a new take on the Titanic. Of course there is a love story, but this one has more than class differences and a sinking ship to overcome. In this story werewolves are on board. I loved the ending; such a dramatic twist!

Past Perfect

Title: Past Perfect
Author: Leila Sales
Reading Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Sales

Newly single and heartbroken, Chelsea is about to start her perpetual summer job as a reenactment actor at Essex, a colonial village. Coming back to Essex for the summer unfortunately guarantees a hot, itchy costume and endless, ignorant questions from summer visitors but it also ensures that she gets to work with best friend, Fiona, and won’t end up running into the ex-boyfriend, Ezra. However, Chelsea gets a big surprise on the first day when Ezra shows up working at Essex as well. As if things could not get any worse, Chelsea finds herself falling for a cute guy who works over at the Civil War reenactment park across the street, currently at war with the Essex crowd. With all these complications, Chelsea is in for a life-changing summer she will never forget.


When I started this book, I figured it would be the typical girl-is-heartbroken-but-falls-for-a-better-guy-so-everything-is-perfect type of book. While those books can be a nice escape, the unrealistic situations can get a little annoying. However, this book was much more and really exceeded my expectations in many ways. First off, it takes place in a colonial reenactment village, much like Williamsburg which is so familiar to anyone living in this area. So the setting was unique and led to some fun situations and hilarious asides from Chelsea. Speaking of Chelsea, her narration is absolutely perfect. Her observations of the people and events around her, even when flawed, are accurate to a teen going through her predicament. She is a very real character as are her parents particularly her father, the cynical history buff.

I also loved the war between the two reenactment villages. It added a nice layer to a book that, on surface, is just about a girl dealing with an upsetting break-up. The other characters are relatively stock, but the relationships between the major characters such as Chelsea, her parents, her best friend, and the love interests help to make this book stand out among some with similar themes. I’m not saying that it is incredibly deep, but if you like this genre, Past Perfect is definitely something special.

The Bottom Line: I surprisingly loved Past Perfect. From the colonial reenactment village setting to the main character’s insightful discoveries about the people and relationships in her life, this one is a wonderful addition to the chick-lit genre.

Red Glove

Title: Red Glove
Author: Holly Black
Reading Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Black

After the shocking ending to White Cat, Red Glove picks up where the first book left off. Black doesn’t spend much time rehashing the first book but she makes just enough references to the first story to refresh your memory. Cassel and his mother are spending the summer in Atlantic City running scams. Cassel is trying to keep his mind off Lila until the love curse his mother put on her wears off. He is looking forward to school in the fall until he finds out that Lila has enrolled at the same prep school. If life isn’t complicated enough, just as school is getting started there is a death in Cassel’s family. The Fed’s contact Cassel and ask for his help in solving the murder.
The Bottom Line:
Red Glove is just as smart and thrilling as the first book in the series. There are many twists and turns along the way as Cassel tries to solve this mystery. I anxiously await the third book in the series, Black Heart. While you wait, go to www.thecurseworkers.com and read Lila Zacharov in 13 Pieces, a short story told from Lila’s point of view.

Bloodlines

Title: Bloodlines

Author: Richelle Mead

Reading Level: Young Adult

Location: YA Mead (when it comes in)

When alchemist, Sydney, is tasked with the undesirable assignment of watching over Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, she knows that she can make no mistakes if she wants to silence her detractors. She heads to Palm Springs where she, Jill and Jill’s guardian, Eddie, will be enrolled in an exclusive, human private school to hide Jill away from enemies in the Moroi world. Along for the ride is fellow alchemist, Keith, as well as intriguing, Moroi royal, Adrian.

Once in Palm Springs, Sydney begins to settle into a routine, attend classes, get Jill to regular feedings, banter with Adrian and contend with self-absorbed Keith. However, all is not as it seems at the school or with Sydney’s Moroi acquaintances. Some of the students have strange tattoos which are rumored to boost intelligence, mood or athletic ability. Plus, Jill’s unhealthy attachment to Adrian coupled with her problems adjusting to the student dynamic has combined to keep Sydney on her toes. Unfortunately, Sydney has a lot of unanswered questions and no one will give her any information. Whatever action she takes, she needs to do it quickly because her existence in Palm Springs is even more dangerous than she ever imagined.

Alright, I am a huge fan of the Vampire Academy (VA) series so I was excited about this spin-off. I was not a huge fan of Sydney in the VA books but I absolutely loved her in this book! Right from the beginning you are introduced to Sydney’s alchemist world, her family and her upbringing. You begin to understand the reason she is stiff and uncompromising but you also realize that she is smart and passionate about her work. She has become one of my favorite characters and I can’t wait to see how much she is going to change throughout this series. Adrian’s dynamic personality and sarcastic humor were a welcome addition to this book. I am also anticipating great things in the development of his character. A few characters from VA make cameo appearances with one big shocker addition at the end that should make the next book very interesting. Even though this is a starter book that sets up the Bloodlines series, it is still an entertaining, exciting book. I had a few plot twists figured out about midway through but there was quite a surprise near the end.

If you have never read any of the VA books, you should have no problem jumping into this series. Even though some characters carry over, Richelle Mead successfully crafts this as a stand-alone. She adequately explains the dynamics of the Moroi and Strigoi so the average reader will be able to get into this series without having read the VA books.

The Bottom Line: Bloodlines is a wonderful beginning to this VA spinoff series! Sydney is a strong, exciting main character who will carry this series well. If you were a fan of the Vampire Academy books, you should absolutely love this first book. Those who enjoy the paranormal or the paranormal romance genre should definitely give this book a try.

White Cat (Curse Workers series, Book 1)

Title: White Cat (Curse Workers series, Book 1)
Author: Holly Black
Location: YA Black

This is the first installment in Holly Black’s Curse Workers series. Curse workers have special powers. They can change your luck, memories, feelings, dreams and more with just a touch. And since curse work is illegal they are all con artists or part of mob families.

Our main character is Cassell Sharpe, a high school student at a private school in the east. Several years ago Cassel killed his best friend, Lila, the daughter of a powerful mob family. The strange thing is, he doesn’t remember why, but he knows he did. Fast forward to the present and Cassel finds himself sleepwalking and he wakes up on the roof of his dorm, an instant You Tube sensation. The school promptly suspends him and he moves back to live in his family home. While at home he encounters a white cat hanging around the barn, the same cat that has recently been showing up in his dreams.

As we meet the other members of Cassell’s family, he tries to explain why he killed his best friend, why he doesn’t remember and why this white cat keeps showing up.

Bottom Line
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I listened to the audio version and found Jesse Eisenberg’s (Social Network) narration to be spot on. Although some books are very clearly aimed at a YA audience, this story deals with themes that all ages can appreciate; family, jealousy, love and mystery. There are twists and turns in the plot that I didn’t expect. I highly recommend that you read White Cat by Holly Black. Check out the first chapter on the author’s web site www.hollyblack.com .

Abandon

Title: Abandon

Author: Meg Cabot

Location: YA Cabot

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back. But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.  Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away... especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.  But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

Bottom line:

A modern Hades & Persephone story. This book had a lot of potential, but it didn't quite make the target. I had a hard time following the story (with partial flashbacks everywhere) and then the climax finally happened in the last few pages with a "huh?" cliff-hanger. I admit I'm curious to see where this story goes, but with some hesitation.

The Gathering

Title: The Gathering (Darkness Rising, Book 1)
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Armstrong, K.

The Gathering is the first in Armstrong's latest YA trilogy, Darkness Rising. For fans of her first YA trilogy, Darkest Powers, you will find similar themes of seemingly "normal" teens who find they have special powers and how those characters band together to figure out what's happening in their world- not to mention the possibility of medical experimentation.

While I associate Darkest Powers with more paranormal elements and the macabre (after all the main character sees ghosts and the group of characters meet while living in a home for teens with diagnosed mental disorders), The Gathering focuses in on one teen girl's town on Vancouver Island, secluded and controlled by a medical research corporation. Intensive medical check-ups by doctors ranked the best in their field is considered an annoyance to the teens, but a perk to the adults who have relocated their families to this secluded place. Free health care anyone? Folklore from native Canadian tribes and daily interaction with wildlife, in particular cougars, makes Maya's story an interesting read.

Maya has an uncanny ability to work with animals; she helps heal and rehabilitate injured wildlife in a make-shift animal hospital and has run-ins with the cougars who frequent the forests around her home. She feels "different" and has a birthmark resembling a paw print on her hip. When mysterious deaths occur and questions of Maya's birth parents arise, she turns to her closest friends for support. The introduction of Rafe, the newest resident in town, and not exactly a welcomed addition, adds to the mystery and shakes up Maya's daily life. Is this tiny town more than what it seems?

Bottom Line: I can't say that the similarities to all of the recent YA books with teens morphing into other creatures made me want to read this book. I know what you're thinking...vampires, werewolves, what's next? What made me read it is Armstrong's strong writing; the characters are unique, the setting is unspoiled and fresh, and her honest perspective of teens always makes a good YA read. I have to say I'm an Armstrong fan for both her adult and YA books. An interesting note: see if you can find the subtle jabs explaining differences between Canada and America. I had to smile a couple of times and nod my head in agreement.

Beauty Queens

Title: Beauty Queens
Author: Libba Bray
Reading Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Bray

Printz Award winner Libba Bray, begins her latest novel, Beauty Queens, with the dramatic plane crash of an entire plane full of Miss Teen Dream contestants. Those who survive find themselves on a deserted island with no adults or food and worst of all, no beauty products! Led by Miss Taylor Rene Krystal Hawkins from Texas, the girls focus on staying pageant-ready by practicing their dance routines and relishing all that weight they are losing. But the island is not entirely uninhabited and these Miss Teen Dreamers are in more danger than they ever imagined. As despair and hunger set in, the girls begin to drop their fake personalities and all that competition to band together and survive in style, learning about themselves in the process. Will the Miss Teen Dreamers make it off the island to write a tell-all book about their experiences? Will they fall for some hot, reality-show pirates? Will they break a nail in the process?

I am a huge Libba Bray fan and have adored her other novels, so I was fairly confident I would feel the same about Beauty Queens. From Bray’s snarky humor to the “commercials” for various beauty products like “Lady Stache Off” and reality shows like “Captain Bodacious IV: Badder and More Bodaciouser,” that appear between chapters, this book was a lot of fun from start to finish. I really did not think I would get attached to any of the characters since they are all beauty pageant contestants but Bray deftly reveals their real personalities and the various reasons they got into pageants. I have to say, I loved all the characters in the end, even the super ditzy one. If I were on a deserted island, I would definitely want Taylor Rene Krystal Hawkins on my side; maybe she could teach me to break the bad guy’s necks.

One of my favorite things about this novel is Bray’s message that you don’t need Lady Stache Off, eye creams, wrinkle-remover creams, tanning creams, bleaching creams, breast implants, breast reduction, butt implants, lipo, botox or anything designed to make all girls look like cookie-cutter, carbon copies of each other. It’s good to be different. So when our society tries to put you in a box and make you conform to our social mores or our narrow standard of beauty, be confident and live the life you want. I am thrilled that Bray delivered her message in this hilarious, exciting romp with some amazing beauty queens. Oh, and she does throw in some hot pirates!

The Bottom Line: Beauty Queens is just amazing! Libba Bray does a great job of delivering a hilarious story and great characters while simultaneously slamming our image-obsessed, reality show culture. This is a book that makes you proud to be a girl, no matter your age, and I highly recommend it.

Divergent

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Roth

Divergent was being compared to Hunger Games before the book ever came out so for those of you who are wondering just how alike they are, here it is. Both are dystopian young adult books with adult crossover appeal. Each has a female main character who is separated from her family, faces tough situations and decisions, is disliked because of where she is from, has an ally die, and a least one person who wants her dead. Unlike other popular teen series the main character in this one has only one love interest and it’s more realistic. I found this refreshing.
The dystopian world in the book is divided into five factions that eradicate those qualities they believe were responsible for the world’s disarray, meaning they live their lives based on one aspect of human personality. At sixteen everyone takes an aptitude test to help them determine which faction they belong in. Then at a Choosing Ceremony all declare which faction they want to belong to. Once the ceremony is over those who transfer factions might not ever see their families again. The choosing is the easy part though. If they don’t pass the initiation they could become factionless, which is described as worse than death. Tris, the main character, has a bit of a different experience with the aptitude test, and isn’t sure which faction she will choose until she cuts her hand for the ceremonial drop of blood into her chosen faction’s bowl.
Initiation begins for Tris as soon as the last sixteen year old has chosen a faction. Within an hour she’s not sure she will survive it. The faction doesn’t seem to stand for what she thought it did. She’s not sure who to trust and knows if the secret she is trying to keep hidden is discovered everything could be over for her. Luckily for Tris, she has an unknown ally. She is surprised on Visiting Day when her mother shows up and even more surprised by what occurs during the visit. By the time she realizes who her ally is she also knows something is not right and whatever that something is, it’s growing.

Bottom Line: Divergent is an action packed dystopian novel. When I reached the last hundred pages I couldn’t put the book down! If you liked the Hunger Games series you will probably like this series also. Be aware this is not a copycat so it isn’t going to be just like the Hunger Games. While both have a female main character, a love interest, and a need to stay alive all of these aspects are very different in Divergent. Even the violence is different. I liked the Mom in this book, but to write anything about her would give away part of the plot. She is an unexpected, but welcomed personality in the story. The ending was left so open I am interested to see what direction Ms. Roth will take with the second book in the series. I will be recommending this book to many teens and adults.

Passion

Title: Passion a fallen novel
Author: Lauren Kate
Level: young adult
Location: YA Kate

Passion is the third book in the Fallen series. This series is based around main characters that are fallen angels and the mortal one of them loves, Luce.
The series in two minutes: In Fallen Luce was drawn to both Daniel and Cam. She fell for Daniel, but had to leave the Sword & Cross school when she unknowingly told Sophia Bliss something that could put her life in danger and could lead to a final death. In Torment Luce started to learn about angels and Announcers. She was troubled by Daniel’s distance, questioned his love and anguished over family she lost in past lives. In Passion Luce visits past lives to learn about her love for Daniel and his undying love for her. She is determined to find something that will help them stay together in the present. But there is someone who doesn’t want to see Luce and Daniel together.

Spoiler Alert: If you have not read the first two books in this series you may want to skip to the bottom line. You may remember the ending of Torment had Luce jumping into an Announcer and then the other angels and Nephilim following her. Passion begins with the introduction of a new unnamed character who says he is taking care of things himself. It is obvious that everyone else at the meeting is terrified of him. From there we are back with Luce as she comes through the first Announcer on her search to figure out a few important things about herself, her lives, and her future.

There is a good amount of Announcer travel in Passion. Luce gets a glimpse into some other lives as she tries to figure out why she loves Daniel and why he loves her. All the while Daniel is desperately chasing her through Announcers missing her by minutes. The other angels are trying to find her also because if she changes anything there will be a ripple effect through time. So just how many times can you watch yourself die or relive the anguish of losing the one you love because of your actions before wondering if it’s worth continuing? Both Luce and Daniel learn something from their past lives. I found the visits to past lives interesting, but I like historical fiction. If the time travel is not something you enjoy reading, be warned almost the entire book will be just that.
There is a character who shows up in Luce’s Announcer claiming to be there to guide her. He’s a bit creepy. At times he seems helpful, but he also seems to get upset with Luce so I had to wonder just what he was guiding her toward. Make sure to pay attention to this character.

Bottom Line: Some series can maintain the same quality and interest level throughout all of the books. Others seem to lose it in one book and make the reader wonder if they should continue with the next in the series. Passion is the book in this series that just doesn’t live up to the standard. The majority of the book takes place through Announcer travel to past lives of Lucinda and Daniel as she learns about their love and he tries to find her. While I enjoyed this aspect of the story, there came a point when I wondered how long it was going to continue before they would discover what they needed to learn. After all Luce has a “guide” in her Announcer. Once Luce realizes she will always love Daniel and everything they go through in each life is worth the small amount of time they have together the story really gets moving. We learn about the angels' fall from Heaven and what someone is doing to keep Daniel and Lucinda apart. I’m glad I read Passion, but I can’t say I enjoyed it as much as the previous titles in the series. Leaving a couple past lives out would have helped it. I won’t give away the ending, but I expect the final book in the series, Rapture, to be action packed.

Title: Wrapped
Author: Jennifer Bradbury
Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Bradbury (when it comes in)

As a young socialite in 1817 London, Agnes Wilkins’ life is full of parties, balls and other social gatherings all designed to find her a husband so she can settle down in matrimonial bliss. While Agnes understands her social position, her adventurous spirit is certainly not ready for all the restrictions that come with wife and motherhood. While at a party thrown by one of her suitors, Lord Showalter, Agnes takes part in the unwrapping of an Egyptian mummy and unwittingly falls into a treasonous conspiracy and an ancient curse. Now, with the help of a cute, intelligent British Museum employee, Caedmon, she must unravel a mystery, avert the curse and save the British Empire in the process. Not too bad for a proper English girl!

I thought this book was a lot of fun from beginning to end. Agnes is a remarkably intelligent, fun heroine. I was rooting for her the whole time. I figured out the mystery pretty early on in the story, but that didn’t spoil my enjoyment in seeing it all play out. The romance was sweet if not predictable and rounded out the story nicely. I particularly loved the ending of this one. The author made some great choices for her heroine that was entirely fitting with her character. Even though the book had a clear, satisfying ending, I suspect we will see more books starring Agnes in the future. I will be looking forward to it!

The Bottom Line: Wrapped was an inventive, fun story with a lot of action, intrigue and a little romance. Even though this is a teen book, it has no objectionable material and would be an ideal novel for tweens and young teens who are just starting to read young adult novels. Give it to girls who enjoy books with strong heroines, adventure and romance, particularly those who like a regency or Victorian setting.

Wishful Thinking

Title: Wishful Thinking
Author: Alexandra Bullen
Level: YA
Location: The library does not currently own a copy. This book was given out at a conference and was to be published in 2011.

Hazel has a pretty dreary life. She was adopted as an infant, her Mom passed away when she was young, she's lived in foster homes ,and she now lives with a man, Roy, who's relationship to her is unclear other than he loved her Mom. It seems taking pictures with an old camera that belonged to her Mom is the only thing that gives her any happiness. Then on her eighteenth birthday Roy hands her an envelope with her birth certificate inside.

After researching her mother's name Hazel discovers she will be at an event only four bus rides away. Determined to met her mother, she takes the one dress she owns to a seamstress whose card was inside it to have a seam fixed, only to have the person in the store tell her they are closed. On her way out the dress falls out of her bag and catches the seamstress' eye. After a few questions she agrees to take the dress and tells Hazel to come back in two hours. Hazel realizes when changing in the ferry station that the dress is different, but it looks so good on her she doesn't care and is off.

So how would you feel to finally be meeting your real mother, in a great dress and looking better than you ever have, and realize that you are at her wake? Hazel scrambles out of the restaurant as fast as she can and walks onto a ferry in a daze. She's thinking life is unfair and she wishes she had gotten to know her mother first. Exhausted from all the emotion Hazel lays her head down on her arms. When she awakens things don't look right. She doesn't even recognize the ferry she is on! In the dress bag she finds a note that explains her dress had the power to grant a wish. Hazel is now in a place where her mother was before Hazel was even born. She has her chance to get to know her mother.

I found taking Hazel's journey of gaining confidence, finding her real mother, helping her and making some tough choices very enjoyable.



Bottom Line: In Wishful thinking Hazel's character ( She's the main character.) develops through out the story. The story has great secondary characters. I wasn't sure about Wishful Thinking when I picked it up, but I found it wasn't predictable and enjoyed the characters development. The ending brings it all together nicely even if it isn't the one some reader's will expect.