The Last Song – Eva Wiseman

Publisher: Tundra Books
Released: April 10th, 2012
Genre: YA historical fiction
Review copy from publisher

Spain had been one of the world’s most tolerant societies for eight hundred years, but that way of life was wiped out by the Inquisition. Isabel’s family feels safe from the terrors, torture, and burnings. After all, her father is a respected physician in the court of Ferdinand and Isabella. Isabel was raised as a Catholic and doesn’t know that her family’s Jewish roots may be a death sentence. When her father is arrested by Torquemada, the Grand Inquisitor, she makes a desperate plan to save his life – and her own.

From Tundra Books website.

I admittedly don’t read a lot of historical fiction. I generally really enjoy it when I do, but it’s not a genre I gravitate to. But to me, The Last Song was almost hist-fict lite. I would have liked to have seen a lot more detail about the time period. I felt that the author brushed over some things that could have enriched the story more. Despite the nature of the plot and the time frame that the book takes place, it was a fairly happy novel and I’m not sure that tone did the writing or the characters justice.

It was an enjoyable book, don’t get me wrong. But I found that at times it almost bordered on fluffy. Like I said, I would have liked to have seen some more depth to the plot and the characters.

I think that die-hard fans of hist-fict may find The Last Song a bit light for them. But, I think this is an excellent book for those who want to get into the genre but don’t want to start with anything really long or really heavy in tone.

Ring Around the Rosie – Jen Wylie

Aaron is a normal boy fascinated with music. He loves playing his flute so much he doesn’t even mind lessons over summer break. When he meets a strange boy at the park who seems to be just as obsessed they spend summer days entertaining children in the parks woods. But friends often have secrets, music can be magical, and even the most innocent of children’s games can be more than they appear.

Ah, the creepiness! The mystery! The spine-tingling GOODNESS of this short story. I mean, from the beginning I was all like, “WHAT the heck is going on?” I knew it was something devilishly good, I had a sneaking suspicion, and I was kinda right, but I was also way, way off. Which I LOVE when reading creepy stories like Ring Around the Rosie.

I loved how right from the get-go I had an uneasy feeling about the boy in the park and I wanted to scream at Aaron to STAY AWAY! Not that he would have listened, though. He was as entranced with the boy as the children in the park were. Have a mentioned how creepy this story was? I have? Okay, I just wanted to make sure. Cuz it was CREEEEEEEPY.

And the ending! Oh, it’s one of my favorite endings, I think. I won’t ruin it for anyone, but it was pretty cool. And like the rest of the story, there wasn’t any over explaining or filler. That’s the thing I liked most about Jen’s writing. It was tight.

This was just a great YA short story. I rarely ever read YA short stories, but I think I need to start delving into this genre more.

Thanks so much to Jen for the review copy.

Pure – Julianna Baggott

We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . .

Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . .
There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it’s his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.

When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.

I have to be honest: for the first couple of chapters, I really wasn’t feeling this book. Could have been my mood, could have been the writing, could have been the characters, could have been the pull of the tides, I dunno. But I almost put it down a couple of times. But something – some nugget – kept me going. And I’m very glad that I did. Because by chapter three I was in love with this book.

It’s a bit hard to talk about what I liked about Pure without giving some of the story away, and I HATE spoiling things for other readers. So I’ll try to skirt around some of the surprises and secrets while still letting you know why you may want to give this book a go.

Okay, first Pressia’s world. The fusing that is mentioned in the book blurb? So cool and gross and disturbing and disgusting and brilliant. I want Pure to be made into a movie just so I can see the fusing come to life. But really, I don’t need to see it in a movie because Baggott describes it so well and vividly that I felt, quite often, that I COULD see it. (Which may be why it took me a couple of chapters to like the book, maybe. She’s quite graphic in her descriptions right off the bat, and I think it took me a while to feel comfortable with it).

After the brokenness of Pressia’s world, when we’re first introduced to where Partridge lives, The Dome, its order and starkness are obvious. I loved how even though The Dome is supposed to be the better option of the two, it quickly becomes evident that all is not as it appears.

Pure is told from several different view points. It took me a bit to understand why some of the secondary characters were getting their own chapters. But trust me, it all fits together. And a couple of those secondary characters ended up being my favorite parts of the book.

Pure took a bit of time to grow on me, but once I warmed up to it, I warmed up to it completely. I think this is a dystopian that will appeal  to a lot of people.

Thanks bunches to the folks at Hachette Canada for the review copy.

Divergent – Veronica Roth

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue-Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is-she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are-and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she’s kept hidden from everyone because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

When Divergent came out, everyone was all like, “OMG Colleen! You HAVE to read it!” And I was all like, “Yeah, okay, when I get around to it.” Well, I put it on my Christmas wish-list and the hubs got it for me. I was about three pages in when I realized that I had been a twit to wait this long to read it. Because guys? It’s full of the awesomesauce.

The thing is, I can’t really talk a lot about the plot or story without ruining it for those why haven’t read it yet. So this will be a sort of vague review. What I can tell you is that I LOVED the layering of Tris’ story. There are different elements and lots of things going on that just made me so freaking happy. I love when things that seem to have nothing to do with one another come together for that “OH!” moment. That happens a few times in Divergent and each time made me giggly.

Okay, I can’t do my review without mention one of the other characters, Four. I’m not one to get crushes on book characters. It just doesn’t happen. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I thought a male character in a book was swoon-worthy (I think it was Gilbert Blythe about a zillion years ago when I first read Anne of Green Gables). With that being said, I just love Four. The boy made me sigh quite contently a few times during the book.  I can’t even put my finger on why I kinda fell for him. He’s just a great character.

Speaking of great characters, they are splattered throughout Divergent. And bad guys! Jeez, there were a couple of characters that I had a great time hating.

I think this is one of my favorite dystopian reads. And to say I am impatiently waiting for the sequel would be putting it mildly.

All These Things I’ve Done – Gabrielle Zevin

In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city’s most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.’s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she’s to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight–at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

Okay, I don’t think I could handle it if chocolate were banned. I mean, seriously. The coffee I could do without (though I’m sure the hubs would be a joy to live with) but chocolate? No freaking way.

This book had such a unique premise that I was really hoping to fall hopelessly in love with it. But I didn’t. I didn’t hate it but I had an issue and for me it’s a big one. The pacing in All These Things I’ve Done?  It was way, way off for me.

Okay, so, I LOVED the parts about her mafia family and the chocolate poisoning and such. But sandwiched in between was the romancey stuff. It just seemed like in the middle of the book there was a shift from the mystery of the poisoning to the smoochy part and then back to the mystery again. I found it jarring and quite noticeable. I would have much preferred if the mafia stuff stayed the main focus and the romance part was woven in better.  It’s not that I didn’t like the romance stuff, it’s just that it kinda stopped everything else that was happening. And yes, I realize that when teens fall in love (or anyone for that matter) that pretty much everything else is at a stand-still for a while.  I just found it jarring, is all.

But still, I did enjoy the book and really loved the prohibition throwback and the tone of the book.  Even though it made me crave chocolate like nobody’s business.

Shaken- D.M. Anderson

Natalie, a self-centered girl, is dragged away by her family at the worst possible time.

Damien, a juvenile delinquent condemned as an accessory to murder.

Connor, an angry young man unable to get over the death of his father.

Three teenagers from different backgrounds, each suffering pain and loss, must now find strength, responsibility, and heroism they didn’t know they possessed when the worst disaster in American history, a 9.7 earthquake devastates the Pacific Northwest. Their struggle for survival will not only test their resolve; it will affect the lives of everyone around them.

Can they let go of their own personal issues and look beyond themselves before a massive tsunami destroys them all.

I LOVE disasters movies. Which really makes no sense, because I’m a pretty stressed person and if a disaster ever hit I’d probably curl up in bed with my stuffed frog and a shit-ton of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. But I’ll watch disaster movies until the cows come home. I love watching how people deal with horrific situations and how they come out on the other end, changed. For me Shaken was like a disaster movie in a book. It had all the elements that I love and then some.

I read Shaken in two sittings. It probably would have been devoured in one, except that I read it a few days before Christmas so I was a bit distracted with wrapping gifts and such. It was an intense read, what with the earthquake and all. But I just couldn’t put it down. I needed to know what happened to these three teens and others that were in the book.

The way Anderson described the earthquake, and what happens after, made me feel like I was watching it happen. I could feel the tension, the hope, the desperation as characters struggled to deal with the aftermath and trying to survive. My heart was pounding during certain scenes, breaking during others.

Now, I don’t want you to think that this was just an action book, because that’s so not the case. There was some nice character development in Shaken. I enjoyed watching the teens grow and realize who they really are. I felt for these characters and I cared what happened to them.

Shaken was just a great all around read. For fans of disaster movies, disaster books and just great YA books, I recommend Shaken.

Thanks to Echelon Press for the review copy.

The Water Wars – Cameron Stracher

Vera and her brother, Will, live in the shadow of the Great Panic, in a country that has collapsed from environmental catastrophe. Water is hoarded by governments, rivers are dammed, and clouds are sucked from the sky. But then Vera befriends Kai, who seems to have limitless access to fresh water. When Kai suddenly disappears, Vera and Will set off on a dangerous journey in search of him-pursued by pirates, a paramilitary group, and greedy corporations. Timely and eerily familiar, acclaimed author Cameron Stracher makes a stunning YA debut that’s impossible to forget. 

If you’re looking for a young adult dystopia that’s one Hell of an adventurous ride, The Water Wars is the book for you. But a warning: make sure you have a glass of water when reading. I was so thirsty as I read that I’m sure I drank a gallon of water. And that’s a testament to Stracher’s writing. He described the lack of water, the continual thirst in such a way that I felt it myself.  Now that’s kick-ass writing.

This book was chock-full of action and adventure and pirates and evil companies and my God! I loved that from chapter to chapter, page to page I was unsure who the bad guys were. Actually, now that I’ve finished the book, I’m still not 100% sure.

Okay, this may sound weird, but I felt that, despite the fact that the main character was a girl, The Water Wars was geared towards guys. The pacing, the amount of action and the fact that there wasn’t a huge amount of character development just made it seem like a good fit for boys. Not that girls won’t like it, either. It just seemed like more of a boy book to me. I guess what I’m saying is that, if you’re a boy, don’t dismiss this because the main character is a girl. You’ll love it. Trust me.

Thanks to Sourcebooks for the review copy.

Summer on Fire – Kevin Craig

“Zach Carson is a loyal friend. But is loyalty enough to keep best friends together when one of them sets fire to the rural barn they use as the local hangout?
Zach, Jeff Barsell and Arnie Wilson struggle to pick up the pieces when news spreads that a body was discovered in the burnt out shell of the neighbouring home. When the word murder is used by the local police, the stakes grow even higher. When the police start searching for their most likely suspect-none other than Jeff’s older brother, and nemesis, Marty Barsell-the boys decide to join forces and come up with a way to prove his innocence.
But just how innocent is Marty Barsell? When Marty admits to being at the scene of the crime, the three friends enlist the help of Zach’s annoying sister, Sherry, as well as the sympathetic town eccentric, Ms. Halverton. But can they keep it together long enough to save Marty, and themselves, from imminent catastrophe? Summer on Fire is the story of friendships, and the lines we are asked to cross in order to keep them.”

I don’t real a lot of what is considered “boy books”. But when I come across a book like Kevin Craig’s Summer on Fire, it makes me want to head to the bookstore and grab all the boy-centered YA books I can find.

I think what I loved most about this book was the tone. It was very reminiscent of Stand by Me. It had that coming-of-age-with-your-buds kinda feel to it. Throw in the whole trying to figure out what really happened with the fire angle and you have the perfect YA mystery read.

While I enjoyed the mystery of the fire and the murder angle, what really struck a cord with me was the relationship between Zach and his friends. The dynamic with Zach, Jeff and Arnie changes throughout the book and the boys each have some pretty tough decisions to make. It was a realistic portrayal of a friendship stressed by some pretty big events.

Kevin’s writing really drew me into the story, and his dialogue (from what I can remember being a teen and hanging with boys) was dead on.

*side note* Kevin and I “met” on Twitter. He was looking for reviewers and I asked to be included. This is one of the things I LOVE about Twitter. Getting introduced to new authors.

Thanks so much to Kevin for sending me a review copy.

Run – Patti Larsen

“Sixteen-year-old Reid thinks life is back to normal. His sister Lucy pulls herself together and cuts him free from a year of foster care. She promises to take care of him, that her new boss and her new life are what they both needed to start again. Until Reid is taken in the middle of the night, dumped in a wild stretch of forest far from home with no idea why he is there. Lost and afraid, he learns to run from the hunters who prowl the darkness, their only pleasure chasing down kids like him. And killing them.”

What an adrenaline rush! From the opening words of Run it was a constant run for your life kinda situation. Patti holds nothing back. I mean, if I were Reid, I would have been curled up in the fetal position, sucking my thumb by page 4. And he did have those moments when he wanted to give up. But then he’d go on. There was a lot of this back and forth in Reid, and I thought that it was very realistic for the situation he was in.

I really liked the fact that I was as lost and confused as Reid was as to where he was and why he was there.  And there was some mystery surrounding the hunters, also. Who were they? Why were they hunting kids down? Why did they pick Reid? I really felt like I was there with Reid, trying to survive and figure out what the Hell was going on.

Run is definitely not for the faint of heart. There’s some pretty icky scenes throughout. Stomach turning scenes. Stop munching on chips while you’re reading them scenes. The combination of scary, suspense and gruesomeness had me only reading Run during the day.

If you’re a fan of YA books that make your heart pound with the unknown and leave you cringing at places (but in a wonderful Holy Shit kinda way) then Run‘s the book for you.

Dark Inside – Jeyn Roberts

Oh my dear gods this was one Hell of a scary book! I mean it. The concept totally freaked me out and there may have been a night or two where I “accidentally” left a light on when I went to sleep. Not that it stopped my overactive imagination from thinking about Dark Inside once I fell asleep. There were nightmares.

I loves me a good plague book.  And this, kiddies, is a damn good plague book. But the folks don’t die of the plague in a fit of bloody coughing and oozing orifices, no. Instead it turns regular old peeps into murderous maniacs, hacking and pulling apart anyone who isn’t infected. Scary shit, my friends, scary shit.

Dark Inside is told from the view point of different teen survivors as they deal with the plague and the earthquake that preceded the plague, and also what the world becomes in the weeks after the plaque hits. What I loved about these different view points is that not all the kids are super nice, super hero types. There are some dark characters in this book. Damaged souls. It just added another layer of delicious awfulness to the story: when disaster hits, not everyone rises to the occasion.

There’s an element of the supernatural in Dark Inside, although we aren’t 100% sure what that is. The author does an amazing job of showing and not simply telling. Even at the end of the book I wasn’t sure where the plague came from or what the ultimate goal was. But one thing I did know: it was nasty and evil and extremely determined.

I usually hate making book comparisons, but Dark Inside reminded me a lot of Stephen King’s The Stand. Smooshed together with one of my fave movies, 28 Days Later. That’s not to say that Roberts was copying either. But the tone and epicness of Dark Inside was reminiscent of both, in a good way.

This was a unique read that had everything I love about a good post-apocalyptic plague book: multiple points of view, freakyplague, lots of evil folks and a desperation that I could feel in every page.

For me, the only thing scarier than Dark Inside is the fact that I have to wait so long for the next book.

This was another surprise book from the amazing folks at Simon and Schuster Canada.