Friday, February 21, 2014

"Far Far Away" by Tom McNeal (369 pages)

This is a strange, but fateful fairy tale of a boy named Jeremy Johnson, a girl named Ginger Boultinghouse, and a ghost, Jacob Grimm who live in a town called Never Better. Jeremy is the only person who can hear Jacob, who is the voice of the story. Jeremy and his father inherited the Two-Book Bookstore from his grandfather, where they live upstairs and are slowly losing it due financial issues.

The 'Bad Guy' Sten Blix, is the baker downtown who makes cakes that supposedly make you fall in love with the next person you see, which for Ginger, happened to be Jeremy. Jacob tells Jeremy to keep focus on school and ignore Ginger. He wants him to focus on his school work and study, study, study. He begins to hangout with Ginger more and sneak out at night and play pranks on people in their neighborhood, until one prank goes wrong, which is only the beginning of his troubles.

This novel took me by surprise. It's not a typical supernatural, horror, fairy tale, or  fantasy novel, it's all of those genres wrapped in one. This book is extremely hard to review because one event leads to another so quickly that spoiling it is way too easy. Although this book was out of my comfort zone, and the plot was so unusual and strange, I still thought the story was at the perfect pace. If you're looking for a book with a twisted but delightful plot, this is the book for you.

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Wednesday, February 19, 2014

“Little Bee” by Chris Cleave (266 pages)

You are running through the Nigerian jungle under the cover of darkness, fleeing the men from the oil companies who destroyed your village and are methodically wiping out all witnesses. All you can see is blackness and the shadows of trees, and you can hear the howling of hunting dogs a mile off. Then you emerge onto a beach from a travel magazine, and run into two strangers, a damaged couple who can save you…if they each make a sacrifice.

Two years later, Little Bee stumbles out of a deportation center into the English countryside, where everything is different, but things are still very much the same. Little Bee takes out the man’s wallet - Andrew O’Rourke, the license states - and heads out for the address in the London suburbs. What follows is her journey of self-discovery, learning when to stay when she wants to flee, to accept that, despite the dangers in her home country, she doesn’t belong in the UK, and learning to trust others. Her greatest lesson comes from a boy in who only wears two outfits, both Batman costumes.

Meanwhile, a columnist, Sarah, learns how to balance her life between her recently deceased husband, Andrew, and his legacy, her lover, and her rowdy son, Charlie. She learns perseverance and faith from quiet and flightless Little Bee.

            
This is a novel of intertwining stories. Riddled with rich language and deep symbols, this book is a long, but worthwhile read. It shares a sense of peace that all of the characters are longing for. Chris Cleave’s novel is geared towards those who enjoy meaningful literature that goes past the mundane, but has elements for all readers. I personally found the beginning to be difficult to read, but the humor and finale wholly redeem the denser passages. 


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Monday, February 17, 2014

"Nantucket Blue" by Leila Howland (294 pages)

When Cricket is invited to Nantucket for the summer by her friend Jules and her family, she jumps at the opportunity. However, a fatal incident causes Jules to revoke the invitation. Thinking that Jules will regret her decision, Cricket boards the ferry to Nantucket. The Jules she used to know is no longer the Jules standing in front of her on the doorstep. Jules wants nothing to do with Cricket, so Cricket is forced to find somewhere to stay and find a job to support her for the summer. Cricket planned to spend the summer with her best friend’s family. She planned to fall in love with Jay Logan and get a nice tan. She planned to get away from her mom’s sadness and her dad’s new marriage. Not all of her plans actually happened.

The Cranberry Inn offers Cricket a place to stay and a job for the summer. At the time, the island of Nantucket is mourning a loss of an important political figure, which brings a new job opportunity to Cricket; an intern for a journalist. As Cricket keeps track of interviews and cleans hotel rooms during the day, she secretly falls in love with someone completely off-limits at night. Not only does she find out who she really is, she finds out who her mom was years ago. Does Cricket’s life turn out to be the perfect Nantucket blue? Dive in and find out!                                                
This book is full of self discovery and romance. I really enjoyed watching Cricket's relationships begin and grow. I am really looking forward to reading "Nantucket Red" in March! 

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"The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die" by April Henry


The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die

“Take her out back and finish her off." 

This thriller, a 16-year-old girl wakes up in a cabin, not knowing who she is, where she is, or why two men are arguing about whether or not to kill her. All she knows is that there is a throbbing pain coming from two of her fingers, and that she must escape. When one of the men takes her out back to kill her, she manages to attack the man, which buys her time to run. She’s not sure where to go, so she takes the man’s SUV and drives. Along the way she meets Ty, a McDonald’s cashier, who befriends her and helps her run from the men hunting her down. When she hears about herself and her family in the news, she learns that her name is Cady Scott. She has a mom, and dad, and a 3-year-old brother – all of whom cannot be found. She travels back to Portland, Oregon with the help of Ty, only to find the man she escaped from and one of her parents'  bosses waiting for her. And they are not happy. Her parents have something these people want, and they are willing to do anything in order to get it. Killing included.

Find out how Cady (with Ty by her side) saves her family, and potentially millions of others, in this amazing book that I finished in one day. You won’t be able to put it down!

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"Also Known As" (310 pages) and "Going Rogue" by Robin Benway (308 pages)

                                                    
Also Known As (Also Known As, #1)Going Rogue (Also Known As, #2)

Being an international spy isn’t exactly the “normal teenage life.” But who wants that anyway? Maggie Silver didn’t think she did, but when her family gets reassigned to New York City, it’s a move that changes her life. She’s known for her exceptional ability to crack safes, and although it’s a very useful tool in the world of spies, it’s also something that many are willing to kill for in order to get someone like that on their team. In "Also Known As",Maggie meets Jesse and Roux, but doesn’t realize just how hard it is going to be to hide her double life from her best friend – and her new crush. Especially because Jesse’s father just happens to be her assignment. She’s not sure if being a spy is exactly the right kind of life for her, but she finds out in the second book of the of the series "Going Rogue". In this book, Maggie’s parents are accused by the Collective of stealing valuable gold coins. The Collective is the organization that her family has relied on their entire lives to keep them safe. But what happens when your safety valve starts to turn into the complete opposite, and the life of your family is in your hands?




Find out in this series that kept me on my toes. Robin Benway is coming out with a third book to this series shortly, and I cannot wait to read what new adventures Maggie and her “team” are involved in next.


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Kindness for Weakness by Shawn Goodman ( 261 pages)


Growing up without a male role model is extremely difficult for James. His father left when he was young, and his brother moved out to get away from Ron, his mom's addict boyfriend. James is left to deal with his mom and her boyfriend on his own, until his brother offers to spend some time with him. At first, James was okay with delivering drugs for his brother because he was getting attention, but when the police catch him on the run, James is no longer impressed. He is sent to Morton, the worst juvie center around, where the guards abuse, harass, and torment the boys for insufficient reasons.  Who and what helps James get through the rough time at juvie? What causes James to leave the juvenile center? Read this powerful book and learn all about self-control, respect, and decision making. 

Written from a male's point of view, this book definitely made me think in a different way. I loved how I was able to feel the insecurity and other feelings that James felt; I was able to really get into the book.

Reviewd by A.G.


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Saturday, February 15, 2014

"Picture Me Gone" by Meg Rosoff (239 pages)

Mila has the ability to read things. She has a keen eye, and is able to connect small details that are overlooked. As she sets out with her father to help find his best friend, Matthew, who went missing in New York, she's able to put together clues that her father could not. Why did Matthew leave with nothing but his car? Is he really in danger, or is he running away from something? 

This book is the best mystery I've ever read. It was very realistic. It's definitely fast paced, and even though it took a while to get into for me, once I was in, I couldn't tear myself away. When Mila is betrayed by the one person she never thought possible, she discovers things about life, trust, and the things that make us who we are. This page turner is filled with shocking moments of betrayal, and of course, love and loss that you never saw coming. This mystery is too good to give away! 


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Tuesday, February 11, 2014

"Who Done It" conducted by Jon Scieszka (and YOU the Reader)


Photo Credits 
Clark, Rodger N. Demo. N.d. Photograph. Awesome Rad Records. Nov. 2013. Web. Jan.-Feb. 2014.      .
Coy with John Green in Amsterdam. 2011. Photograph. Amsterdam. Flicker. 2011. Web. Jan.-Feb. 2014. .
Crime Scene Clean up. N.d. Photograph. Minnesota. Scene Clean. Web. Jan.-Feb. 2014. .
David Levithan and Kelly Link. 2012. Photograph. Flicker. Mar.-Apr. 2012. Web. Jan.-Feb. 2014.

Book trailer created by; KB


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Friday, February 7, 2014

"Earthbound" by Aprilynne Pike (338 pages)

Earthbound was one of those books that had me wishing the sequel was already out.

 The story revolves around a girl named Tavia, who is in a horrible plane crash, where she was going to visit her dream art school, Huntington Academy of the Arts, which is located in New York, with her parents. She is the only survivor. The accidents causes many physical and mental injuries, such as her destroyed knee or the fact that she cant't bring her self to paint or draw anymore. Tavia then has to go live with her aunt Reese and uncle Jay in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. There she also meets her new best friend Benson. Along the way, she meets a boy named Quinn, and after that she starts seeing things, making things appear, and even getting followed around by a guy known as "Sunglasses Man". In this thrilling and captivating novel, Tavia must decide which path to take and who she can trust.

This book is amazing for anyone who likes fiction or fantasy novels. It is a hard book to get into at first, but it is totally worth it in the end to read it all the way through.

Reviewed by R.G.

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Monday, February 3, 2014

"Imperfect Spiral" by Debbie Levy (343 pages)

After a fatal accident involving Humphrey Danker, a 5 year old boy Danielle babysat over the summer, Danielle faces situations she never thought she would encounter. Instead of grieving the loss of the little boy, the community is focused on safety and illegal immigration. Danielle is constantly interrogated by police officers and journalists, as well as pressured to speak before the Franklin Grove Council board by her neighbors. All she wants to do is talk about Humphrey, and when she encounters a boy her age at the park, she is allowed to do just that. Little does she know, the boy (Justin) plays a huge role in the tragedy. When Danielle gets over her fear of public speaking, she’s able to share her view on the accident, Humphrey, and the concerns that have stirred about. Not only do the citizens acknowledge Danielle’s feelings about Humphrey, but Humphrey’s parents do as well.

Settle in with this book as you are forced to turn the pages. How does Danielle cope with everything that unfolds in front of her? What is the significance of the imperfect spiral? Of Justin? Of Marissa? Go find out!

Just by reading the inside cover I was hooked. I easily read close to 100 pages in one sitting. This book is irresistible.

To see if this title is available, click here.