Far From You by Lisa Schroeder

I won this book from Mrs. DeRaps with DeRaps Reads blog.  Stop by and say hi sometime.  Here's a bit about this book from Ms. Schroeder's website: This is about 16-year-old Alice's reluctant road trip with her stepmother and her new baby sister, and the terror that ensues when they wind up lost in the snow-covered woods.

My Take

Prior to this, I had read one other novel in verse.  I think I'm hooked now.  I wondered how it was possible to tell an entire story in verse.  It's not only possible, it winds up being lovely and conveys tons of emotion.  I felt as though I were inside that care with Ali.  I could feel her desperation and her regret. 

I think Ms. Schroeder has done an excellent job to deliver and taut emotional novel that speaks to living without regrets and allowing yourself to love someone and vice versa.  It's lovely and I'm giving it 4 1/2 kisses!

Hope in Patience by Beth Fehlbaum

You can read the first chapters and find additional information on The Patience Books at Ms. Fehlbaum's website.  Here's a bit about Hope In Patience: Fifteen-year-old Ashley Asher has spent half of her life living in fear. Her stepfather has been sexually abusing her for years, but her mother doesn't believe her. After his latest assault lands her in the emergency room, Child Protective Services finally removes Ashley from her home, and sends her to live with the father she barely remembers and his new family.


Her new life in Patience, Texas, is much better. She's in therapy to deal with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and is trying to make her way in a new high school. She's getting used to living with her father, stepmother, and stepbrother, and she's made new friends in the summer course taught by her stepmother, Bev. She even joins the track team at the urging of her new African American friend, Z. Z.

But Ashley is so traumatized by her past that she sometimes scratches herself until she bleeds and sleeps in her armoire, even though she knows she's safe now. Worse, when her stepfather is finally put on trial for hurting her, she learns that truth and justice don't always go together. Will Ashley adjust to a better life? Will she trust enough to date Josh, the cute guy on her track team who likes her? YA readers will be caught up in the heart-pounding story of a damaged girl trying to heal herself and get on with the rest of her life.

My Take

I was fortunate enough to win a copy of this book.  It's ranks right up there with Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.  I will say that Ms. Fehlbaum's book is more about Ashley's survival than her coming to terms with the fact that she has been sexually abused by her stepfather. 

Ashley is trying to move forward in life and realize that she is worthy of the love that her father and stepmother are giving her.  She has to overcome the fact that her mother will never be the person she wants her to be.  Ashley is determined to not let the fact that she was abused define her but for it to meerly be one aspect of her that she will rise above.  This is a wonderful book full of truth and hope.  I'm giving it 4 1/2 tender kisses!

Beautiful Darkness

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl is book #2 in the Caster Chronicles. Here’s a blurb from the website:  Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena’s family of powerful supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.


Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan’s eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there’s no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town’s tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

My Take

Let me start by saying, I did not read BEAUTIFUL CREATURES. However, I really enjoyed this book! It was easy to fall into Ethan’s love for Lena. You could feel his desperation at reaching her in time. I loved the fact that his mother was looking out for him, despite her passing. Amma was a terrific, feisty character. I even liked Lucille Ball.

I appreciated the detail and the weaving of the storyline. There was a lot of detail included in this book. My family is all from the south and I can appreciate much of the little nuances of the book. Little southern things referred to here and there, and certainly the art of being a gentleman. ;)

I liked the ending and was surprised by the one little twist that I didn’t see coming. No spoilers here. I don’t know that I appreciated the flat out set up for the next book though. It’s probably just the slight headache I have coming on right now. No worries. In the end, the main characters were dealt with fairly well, but some others were left unexplained to a certain degree. I know this too is probably set up for the next book, but it leaves me feeling a little ambivalent.

In the end, I enjoyed the story and the characters quite well. The setting was wonderful and made the reader feel absorbed into it. So to use a southern term, I am going to give this book 3 big sugars!

Note: This book is one I reviewed as part of the Traveling ARC tours.

Fire by Kristen Cashore

Here's a short bit about this from Ms. Cashore's blog: Fire, Graceling's stand-alone prequel-ish companion book, takes place across the mountains to the east of the seven kingdoms, in a rocky, war-torn land called the Dells.


Beautiful creatures called monsters live in the Dells. Monsters have the shape of normal animals: mountain lions, dragonflies, horses, fish. But the hair or scales or feathers of monsters are gorgeously colored-- fuchsia, turquoise, sparkly bronze, iridescent green-- and their minds have the power to control the minds of humans.

Seventeen-year-old Fire is the last remaining human-shaped monster in the Dells. Gorgeously monstrous in body and mind but with a human appreciation of right and wrong, she is hated and mistrusted by just about everyone, and this book is her story.
 
My take:
I grabbed this book assuming it was the follow-up to Graceling.  Once I adjusted to the fact that it was a pre-quel to Graceling, it sailed along.  Fire is an amazing, strong character.  She sounds lovely.  I wish I could have red, orange, and fuschia in my hair without looking like I've lost my mind.  Archer was a good guy, a bit impulsive, but a good guy nonetheless.  I don't want to give anything away for those that haven't read it.  I'll just say I like Archer. 

Brigan was amazing.  Don't we all long for a guy like Brigan?  It was long, but a great read.  I enjoyed it and didn't have too tough a time keeping all the characters straight.  The world building in this book was truly amazing.  Very detailed and very well done.  I would recommend and say 14 and up, maybe even a touch younger.  Four big kisses for this!

 

The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd

Here's a brief summary I took from goodreads.com: It’s Dade’s last summer at home. He has a crappy job at Food World, a “boyfriend” who won’t publicly acknowledge his existence (maybe because Pablo also has a girlfriend), and parents on the verge of a divorce. College is Dade’s shining beacon of possibility, a horizon to keep him from floating away.

Then he meets the mysterious Alex Kincaid. Falling in real love finally lets Dade come out of the closet—and, ironically, ignites a ruthless passion in Pablo. But just when true happiness has set in, tragedy shatters the dreamy curtain of summer, and Dade will use every ounce of strength he’s gained to break from his past and start fresh with the future.

I've had quite the run of "boy" books lately. :)  Dade can only think of getting out of his small town and escaping to college.  He really has no one in his corner other than Pablo who's periodically abusive to him.  I think Pablo cares for Dade, but that scares him at the same time.  By the way, that in no way justifies his abuse, but might explain some of it.

Then Dade meets Lucy and Alex.  Lucy is his sounding board and helps Dade to come to grips with who he is.  Dade falls in love with Alex and he shows him what love really feels like.  A love free of abuse, where you are valued and not hidden away.  Dade's mother abuses pills, his father is pulling away and losing himself in an affair, while Dade has a drinking and drug use problem. 

Like life, there was joy, passion, wonder, sadness, grief and cruelty.  I believe being who you truly are holds deep happiness for most people and for some it's too terrifying.  I'm a strong believer in the LGBT adolescents being represented in literature.  This is a great read.  While the ending does have a certain amount of tragedy, there is hope and hapiness for Dade.  The cover is pretty cool really.  Due to sexaul content, excessive drinking, and some druge use, I would say 17 and up.  I give this book a solid 3 1/2 roses.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Here's a brief bit from Ms. Collins site: Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

I can't believe this, but I apparently forgot to review this book on my blog after reading it.  Let me just say that I really love this book!  Suzanne Collins is the master at storytelling.  It was a pleasure to rejoin Katniss, Peeta, Gale, and the whole gang.  The Capitol nows sees Katniss as a threat.  In a deviously planned twist, she quickly finds herself back in the arena.  How will things turn out for she and Peeta this time?  Will she be forced to prove through marriage her love for Peeta, dashing all hope of ever being with Gale?  This book was fabulous and so quick for me to read.  I can not wait for Mockingjay!  No sex or swearing, so I would give an age ranking of 12 or 13 and up.  Solid 4 stars on this one!  Sorry about spacing off the review until now.

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

A short summary from Sarah Ockler’s site: According to Anna’s best friend, Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there’s a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there’s something she hasn’t told Frankie–she’s already had her romance, and it was with Frankie’s older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.


TWENTY BOY SUMMER explores what it truly means to love someone, what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every beautiful moment life has to offer.

This book was such a conglomeration of emotions: happy, sad, heart-warming, funny, and even frustrating at moments. Anna was in love with the boy next door, literally. He was also her best friend’s brother. However, just as they were getting together, a tragic accident ripped them apart. Eventually we find out that Anna is not the only one with secrets to keep. She also learns that Matt is not the only one she’s mourning, but also her friendship with Frankie. It has morphed into something different and she’s trying desperately to grab onto any glimmer of what it once was.

There were little gems throughout this book about friendship, grief, and letting go. One of my favorite quotes was: “My breathing shatters, tears blur the stars in the overhead skylight, and all the old ghosts I tried to leave home float like dandelion seed wishes into our room.”

I thought this book would be a major cry fest in the end, but it wasn’t. There were wonderful images. The fun parts of friendship and the tough parts of friendship too. I LOVED the idea of sea glass and now wish I didn’t live in a land-locked state. ; ) The cover is just gorgeous.  I really liked this book and am going to give it 4 roses. There was some sex present in this book, some drinking and smoking. Minimal swearing, if at all. I say 15 or so and up.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Here is a blurb from Ms. Cashore’s website: Graceling, my debut novel, is the story of Katsa, who has been able to kill people with her bare hands since she was eight. Katsa lives in the seven kingdoms, where very occasionally, a person is born with an extreme skill called a Grace. Gracelings are feared and exploited in the seven kingdoms, and none moreso than Katsa, who's expected to do the dirty work of torture and punishment for her uncle, King Randa. But then she meets a mysterious stranger named Po, who is also a Graced fighter and the first person ever to challenge her in a fight. The two form a bond, and each discovers truths they never imagined about themselves, each other, and a terrible danger that is spreading slowly through the seven kingdoms.


In the beginning, it was tough to keep some of the characters straight. Between Randa, Raffin, and Giddon, I was a bit lost at first. I just decided to read and that I would figure it out as I went along. It didn’t take long at all. Katsa is a strong character. I love her determination. I also applaud her wanting to educate young women on defending themselves. Another thing that I love about this book was the fact that I was totally surprised at what was wrong with Po, once Katsa figured it out. Often in books, enough hints are dropped along the way, that what you’ve thought, is only confirmed. But with this I was totally taken by surprise. I love that. I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to Fire which I hear is even better. The cover is lovely as well.  I’ll give this 3 ½ roses.

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Here’s a bit about Elsewhere from the Macmillan site: Welcome to Elsewhere. It is warm, with a breeze, and the beaches are marvelous. It’s quiet and peaceful. You can’t get sick or any older. Curious to see new paintings by Picasso? Swing by one of Elsewhere’s museums. Need to talk to someone about your problems? Stop by Marilyn Monroe’s psychiatric practice.


Elsewhere is where fifteen-year-old Liz Hall ends up, after she has died. It is a place so like Earth, yet completely different. Here Liz will age backward from the day of her death until she becomes a baby again and returns to Earth. But Liz wants to turn sixteen, not fourteen again. She wants to get her driver’s license. She wants to graduate from high school and go to college. And now that she’s dead, Liz is being forced to live a life she doesn’t want with a grandmother she has only just met. And it is not going well. How can Liz let go of the only life she has ever known and embrace a new one? Is it possible that a life lived in reverse is no different from a life lived forward?

This moving, often funny book about grief, death, and loss will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned.

I really enjoyed this book. The fact that it is in third person, tends to leave the writing somewhat stilted sometimes. A lot of “Lizzie did this” and “Lizzie did that” which made for choppy reading. I did love thinking about the whole concept of aging in reverse and returning to live out subsequent lifetimes. I think there’s something to be said for fearlessly opening one’s heart and moving forward (or backward) through life, embracing whatever comes your way. Like Don Henley sings “There’s just so many summers babe, just so many springs.” Heavy stuff for a 15 year old to ponder. I find myself thinking over this book long after I’ve finished with it. The cover is pretty decent. I’ll give this one 3 ½ flowers but list it below as 4. After all, who wants to chop a flower in two.

Fat Cat by Robin Brande

Here’s a brief snippet about the book Fat Cat that I shamelessly pulled from a Amazon page: Cat smart, sassy, and funny—but thin, she’s not. Until her class science project. That’s when she winds up doing an experiment—on herself. Before she knows it, Cat is living—and eating—like the hominids, our earliest human ancestors. True, no chips or TV is a bummer and no car is a pain, but healthful eating and walking everywhere do have their benefits.

As the pounds drop off, the guys pile on. All this newfound male attention is enough to drive a girl crazy! If only she weren’t too busy hating Matt McKinney to notice. . . .

This funny and thoughtful novel explores how girls feel about their bodies, and the ways they can best take care of their most precious resource: themselves.

I liked this book a lot. Cat is smart and realizes by the end that the changes she has made were for herself. I think that’s a valuable lesson for teen girls. All too often this is where the framework is laid for women to become pleasers, side-lining our own desires and needs. She re-discovers some of her interests that she had given up long ago. Her parents were involved, present and had a healthy outlook. (It seems as soon I started to remark on the lack of presence of parents in YA books, I bombarded with books of parents very involved. Lol) She approaches her diet changes in a healthy manner also. She consults a dietician and monitors all aspects of her experiment. The only thing that frustrated me at times were Cat’s ability to hold a grudge. I’m not the grudge bearing type of person, so I was shocked by her tenacity in that manner. Her devotion to her family and friends was exemplary. The cover was unique and beautiful (you had to know I’d love that purple). I would say this is a read for 15 and up. I gave this a 3 out of 4 flower rating.

The Sky Is Everywhere

The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

I was looking forward to reading this book since I had heard so many great things about it. I was right to be excited! Lennon is a 17 year old who is mired in grief over the loss of her sister. She’s suddenly caught between her sister’s boyfriend and the new guy Joe Fontaine. Dealing with grief is hard anytime, but when you’re 17 it quel confusing. Will Lennie ever get it all figured out? Will she realize it’s okay to live without her sister? Will she come to grips with her mothers abandoning them 16 years before?

I want to say I love, love, LOVE this book. It made me laugh out loud, cry, and worry for Lennie. The characters are so vibrant they dance off the pages. Everything from Aunt Gooch (read it and tell me you didn't laugh out loud when you find out who that is) to the quirky little sayings and things they do.  I fell in love with this book.  Ms. Nelson is the type of writer I envy. Every word seems so well thought out, so necessary. Each scene a little jewel box that’s stuffed full of amazing things. If I could crawl into the pages and hang out with the characters, I wouldn’t hesitate.

This book makes me yearn to be a better writer. I can’t recommend it enough. My only word of caution is that there’s some talk of sex, not for tweens or young teens.

A Couple Unsung YA books and a whole lotta' grief

Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott (Ages 13 and up) 

Being the daughter of two famous people can definitely have its drawbacks. Hannah is trying to find herself confidence lurking somewhere in the shadows of the bright lights surrounding her parents.  Her mother is still grieving over the loss of Hannah's step-father.  Her biological father only seems to be interested in her when ratings are low.  Hannah is convinced Josh is the perfect guy for her.  Finn, a boy at work and school is purely there as an annoyance.  Her best friend Teagan cheers her on and tries to be the voice of reason.  Will Hannah's efforts to remain invisible fail?  In the end will she realize she shines just as bright as those who truly care about her?  Definite recommendation from me.




Broken Soup by Jenny Valentine (Ages 13 and up)

Rowan is holding the family together, after the death of her brother Jack.  Problem is, it's been several years since Jack's passing.  Her mother is beyond help at this point and doesn't even realize Rowan and her sister, Stroma are there half the time.  While in the store on day, a boy gives Rowan a photo negative.  It's not hers and the small piece of film is the first piece of a mystery that leads everyone to some amazing, life altering truths.  What will happen with the boy, Harper who gave Rowan the negative too? As everyone holds on to their pieces of Jack, yet tries to get on with life, while not completely losing him.  I loved this book.  Rowan was a strong character with a terrific voice.  I also loved the fact that it's set in London so I get little pieces of the British slang.  I guess I should say, "I love this book to bits!"

I've noticed a trend lately.  It was in both of these books, okay not so much in Something, Maybe but for sure in Broken Soup.  It's also in The Hunger Games, which I'm currently reading and I even saw (somewhat) in a movie also.  A parent so overwhelmed with grief that they can not move past it to function in every day life.  While losing anyone in life is horrible and I absolutely understand deep grief.  I'm sure there are days that feel inescapable.  Now, here is where I will most likely sound like a heartless, unsympathetic person.  However, when you have other children you can not afford to check out.  It surprises me how that seems to be a common theme in literature lately.  It would unimaginable to lose a child, beyond horrific.  BUT, you can't let the other children remaining suffer anymore than they already do at the loss of their sibling.  Yes, I know this is fiction.  Isn't alot of fiction grounded in reality though?  All I can say is, I hope that I never know grief of that degree.