nomadreader

The backstory: Young adult paranormal is not usually by thing, but lesbian witches in contemporary Salem, Massachusetts most definitely are. I picked this as a Book of the Month add-on last year, but I finally got around to reading it this month. The basics: The first in a duology (series of two--how refreshing to not have a trilogy!), this novel introduces Hannah, "Hannah's a witch, but not the kind you're thinking of. She's the real deal, an Elemental with the power to control fire, earth, water, and air. But even though she lives in Salem, Massachusetts, her magic is a secret she has to keep to herself. If she's ever caught using it in front of a Reg (read: non-witch), she could lose it. For good. So, Hannah spends most of her time avoiding her ex-girlfriend (and fellow Elemental Witch) Veronica, hanging out with her best friend, and working at the Fly by Night Cauldron selling candles and crystals to tourists, goths, and local Wiccans." (publisher)...

narrated by Graham Halstead and Julia Whelan The basics:  The first in a new young adult trilogy, A Study in Charlotte  follows Charlotte Holmes, a descendant of Sherlock Holmes, and Jamie Watson, a descendant of Dr. Watson, as students at a Connecticut boarding school. My thoughts: I typically file Sherlock Holmes under the "things I simply don't really like--but people with similar taste always seem to love." And I haven't read a young adult novel in several years. So what made me pick up a young adult Sherlock Holmes-inspired mystery? Brittany Cavallaro's Twitter bio . Despite not really caring for most adaptations or appropriations of Sherlock Holmes I've encountered, I really like the smart ways Cavallaro uses Holmes. Most importantly, she makes Holmes and Watson real people. Sometimes I have to remind myself my favorite characters aren't real people, and after so many years and iterations, doesn't it seem like Holmes and Watson were  real? ...

narrated by Kate Rudd The basics: The Fault in Our Stars  is the story of the romance of Hazel and Augustus, teenagers who meet at a cancer support group. My thoughts: I don't read a lot of young adult fiction, but it's been impossible to ignore the acclaim of this novel, particularly it's impressive performance in the 2013 Tournament of Books . I opted to listen to it on audio, and Kate Rudd's narration captured a delightful tone for the novel. There are moments of levity, seriousness and relative normalcy, and Rudd moves between them deftly. The subject matter of this novel is dark: teenagers with cancer, but the novel is rarely dark. While this tone makes it more entertaining read, it also functioned to keep me from becoming as emotionally invested in the characters as I would have liked to be. The Fault in Our Stars  is the first young adult novel I've read since I became pregnant, and it was a somewhat jarring experience for me to feel more connection...

The basics: In future Chicago, everyone is part of one of five factions: Erudite, Candor, Dauntless, Abnegation, or Amity. Each year, sixteen-year-olds take a test to determine in which faction they belong. For Beatrice, the test doesn't work. She is a rare divergent, who fits in more than one faction, but she must choose which one will be her home. My thoughts: I'm intentionally late to the Divergent  party. The third (and final) book in the trilogy came out a few weeks ago, and the film comes out in March 2014. After The Hunger Games , I learned I'd rather wait until all three volumes of a trilogy are published to dive in. First, how much do I love Veronica Roth for choosing those names for the factions? I early await the increased vocabulary of the teens reading these books. I was swept up in the world of Divergent  immediately. As I read, I found myself contemplating which faction I would have chosen (Erudite), as if I would really be faced with the choice. I was al...

edit: Level 2 is now titled The Memory of After The basics: Level 2  is the story of Felicia who died when she was seventeen and is stuck in Level 2, which is a sort of limbo between life and afterlife. In Level 2, drones can access their memories, but they also serve as a type of currency: if others watch your memories, it generates credits for you to watch more memories. When Felicia recognizes Julian, someone she knew in her life, and he tries to break her free from Level 2, she begins to learn more about what exactly Level 2 is. My thoughts: From the first pages, I was fascinated by the world of Level 2 and by Felicia's story. She's a young woman who lived in and traveled to many cities and countries. She's articulate and loyal. Appelhans smartly tells Felicia's story in concurrent narratives: the reader is plunged into the world of Level 2, which Appelhans adds detailed observation into as the novel continues. The emphasis is on plot and character building r...

The backstory: When I interviewed Amy for Book Blogger Appreciation Week this year, I let her pick one book for me to read before the end of 2011. She chose You Are My Only  by Beth Kephart, which thrilled me because I knew both she and Wendy from Caribou's Mom adored it . The other Beth Kephart title I've read, The Heart Is Not a Size , I really enjoyed. The basics: You Are My Only  is the story of Emmy and Sophie. Emmy married young and had a baby young. One day, Emmy's baby goes missing, leaving only a yellow sock. Sophie, a teenage girl who is homeschooled and forced to be reclusive, has spent her life moving around from what her mother eerily calls the "No Good." Once Sophie discovers a cute neighbor, Joey, she begins to question her mother. My thoughts:  The narrative alternates between Emmy and Sophie. It's clear from the beginning that Sophie is Emmy's daughter, yet this connection lacked intrigue. I know I mostly read adult fiction and read ...

It's no secret that paranormal is somewhat hit or miss for me. It's not a genre I seek out, but I often enjoy paranormal books. I do seem to enjoy paranormal books that veer more towards the normal side. Part of the intrigue and joy of paranormal is questioning where exactly the line between reality and fantasy is, and Deception  straddles that line beautifully. Deception begins with Emma's parents leaving on a business trip. She's a normal high school girl with normal annoyances. There's mystery from the beginning, as Emma refers to secrets in her past. As the book moves forward, Emma's thoughts open up to the reader more, as though she were really getting to know you as you get to know her. I won't spoil the plot of this book because part of the joy is figuring out what normal, what's real, who is honest and how much anyone knows. It works as much as a mystery as a paranormal novel, but it will appeal to readers who aren't terribly keen on p...

Publisher's Description: When Adrianne comes face-to-face with the mermaid of Windwaithe Island, of whom she has heard terrible stories all her life, she is convinced the mermaid means to take her younger sister. Adrianne, fierce-willed and courageous, is determined to protect her sister from the mermaid, and her family from starvation. However, the mermaid continues to haunt Adrianne in her dreams and with her song. Yet, when the islanders find out about Adrianne's encounters with the mermaid she is scorned, for this small and superstitious community believes the mermaid will bring devastation to the island if Adrianne does not give herself to the sea. A powerful and lyrical story of one girl who must choose between having everything and having those she loves. My take: While I appreciate Ms. Nielson's intention to write a mermaid book, it just didn't work for me. I had a really hard time getting into this book. I could not connect with the writing s...

Beth Kephart has been on my authors I want to read list for years. Even though I this book was the first of hers I've read, I'm often intrigued authors who write in multiple genres. The Heart is Not a Size is a novel told in two parts. The first half of the novel tells the story of Georgia and her best friend Riley. Georgia sees a flyer promoting a mission trip to Juarez, Mexico, and she convinces Riley to go with her. The second half of the book explores their time in Mexico. Kephart infuses Georgia with observations and realizations of a somewhat omniscient narrator, but this duality actually works. Kephart's writing is deceptively simple. She writes beautifully, and action occurs in between words and sentences as well as in them. Kephart's writing will enchant readers of all ages. Technically it's young adult fiction, but really it's a novel narrated by a teenage girl. This novel deals with some serious subject matter, but it doesn't dwell on ...

Restoring Harmony , the debut novel by Joelle Anthony, is an immensely readable and accessible young adult dystopian novel. The book is set in 2041, and its dystopian world feels frighteningly close. If this book were an episode of Sliders , it would have been the one with the Azure Gate Bridge and the Giants winning the World Series some year they actually didn't. The set-up is rather simple: reliance on oil sunk the economy of the United States. There are no cars anymore. Goods don't travel between cities. Cities are abandoned since The Collapse. Communities must be self-sustaining. Travel barely exists as even train tracks have fallen under disrepair. Few can afford to pay taxes. The heroine, Molly McClure, loves her island farming island in Canada. Her family is able to farm for a living and the climate is lovely. She knows her family and her town are fortunate, considering the plight of most in other areas. When her mother suddenly fears for the health of her pare...

I confess: the cover made me want to read it. I adore this cover, but thankfully, I also adored this book. Life, After  is a heart-wrenching and heartwarming tale of immigration, friendship, terrorism, young love, Judaism, Argentinian politics, depression and Asperger's syndrome. Sarah Darer Littman manages to deal with all of these themes beautifully and sometimes unexpectedly.  Part of the joy for me of reading this book was having so little idea what it was about, so I promise not to give away too much. The narrator, Dani, is a young Jewish Argentinian girl. Her aunt, who is eight months pregnant, is killed on July 18, 1994 in the AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires. The ensuing fallout of the terrorist attack moved her family (and most Argentinians) from middle class business owners to those in need of charity. Argentina was in crisis, and Littman does a wonderful job succinctly explaining ten years of politics to those who likely don't know any of the story....

(The final cover art has not yet been released, and the Web site for this series has not yet gone live.)  The Daughters , the first novel from Joanna Philbin (daughter of Regis), follows fourteen-year-old Lizzie Summers and her two best friends. Lizzie is the only daughter of Katia Summers, the most beautiful woman in the world. Lizzie takes after her a father, a Pulitzer Prize winning writer for The New York Times . Her two best friends, Carina Jurgensen, whose father is a multimedia magnate and philanthropist, and Hudson Jones, daughter of pop icon Holla Jones, are famous by proxy. The novel starts rather awkwardly. There is a lot of pseudo name dropping, and I found myself thinking of these characters and their parents as real people. I tried to figure out what real celebrities they were based on. Philbin's writing was also awkward at first as she quickly introduces a slew of characters. Lizzie uses the cringe-worthy metaphor that her friends her like a Brita filter. ...

I readily admit I have an odd fascination with Lauren Conrad. It's not terribly odd, I suppose, as her success is due to many people being fascinated by her. I find her inspiring, which I don't say about many twenty-four year olds. She grew up on television in perhaps the most mature way possible. We've seen her laugh, cry, have her heart broken and be betrayed. We've never really seen her lose her cool (the rant against Heidi was deserved and rather tame, given the situation) or fall down drunk. She's done a remarkable job of maintaining close friendships and some sense of a life when she was thrust into a spotlight at 17. Yes, she chose the show, but would any 17-year-old anticipate the career trajectory based on one decision? She plays by her rules; she walked away when she was ready. As I often point out to those who mock my fascination with Ms. Conrad, she has the best grammar of any celebrities I follow on Twitter.  Given my fascination, I was excited t...

Before I Fall  is Lauren Oliver's first novel. It will be published March 1, 2010. It's told through the eyes of Samantha (Sam) Kingston, a Connecticut teenager who is part of the popular crowd. I liked the book from the beginning. Sam is an honest narrator who has more depth than she often lets on to her peers. She's a typical teenager with sharp observations, little sense of consequence, an inflated sense of self-importance and a general malaise. I identified with her despite our different social standings in high school. Sam seems acutely aware of the fragility and luck of being popular and somehow senses the lack of difference between her friends and the rest of the school.  The novel opens with Sam informing the reader she's going to die today. She's trapped in a Groundhog Day world where she wakes up on February 12 every morning. She's able to save herself one day, but still finds herself waking up on February 12.  I really enjoyed this book whi...

Wintergirls is the story of Lia, an 18-year-old with an eating disorder dealing with her life and the death of her former best friend, Cassie. At times, it's hard to read because it's not terribly pleasant to be inside the mind of a character obsessed with calories, exercise, and losing weight. I commend Laurie Halse Anderson for writing this honest book. While it was difficult for me to read, I can only imagine how beneficial it would be in the hands of a girl (or boy) struggling with an eating disorder. The book feels like a mystery too, as Lia looks into Cassie's final moments. It's not an easy book, but it's an important one. Rating: 4 stars (out of 5) Pages: 288 pages Publication date: March 19, 2009 Source: my local public library As an Amazon Associate, I will receive a small commission if you purchase this book through the above link. Thanks!

As many of you know, nomadreaerboy got me a Kindle for Christmas, and I love it. To resist the temptation to spend all of the Amazon giftcards my parents and brother bought me in the first five minutes, I started browsing the Kindle bestseller list for free books. I was delighted to see Maureen Johnson's Suite Scarlett  available for free. I've read great reviews of it, but I hadn't gotten around to reading it yet. Having a free Kindle copy made it shoot to the top of my pile. I started reading it on the train home from our Christmas vacation, and I instantly liked it. It's the story of Scarlett, a delightful teenager who lives in a New York City hotel. Her parents own the hotel, which has declined in prestige over the years. There's some teen angst: her friends are all off doing exciting things all summer, and she has to work at the hotel. There's some romance too. I adore New York City, and this story is a partial ode to the city. Most importantly t...

I did it. I finally read Twilight . It was the first book I read on my new Kindle. As I am one of the last people to read it, this review will include spoilers, although I assume most of you either already know the story, actively shy away from it or don't care. I knew this book was about vampires, and thus, it seemed quite slow, as Bella spends the first half of the book figuring out vampires exist and that her crush, Edward, is indeed a vampire. I would have loved to not know it was about vampires because the slow reveal would have been immensely more interesting if the reader expected a non-paranormal young adult love story. I won't fault Meyer for how she chose to tell the story, but her writing wasn't strong enough to make me care how it happened. Bella, our heroine, is likable enough, I suppose. I was rather annoyed at her lack of self-esteem and lack of self-awareness in general, as she had friends and multiple boys asking her out her first week at a new school. ...

Shiver  is a werewolf love story. It's told through the points of view of Grace, who was bitten by the pack of wolves who live in the woods behind her house in Mercy Falls, Minnesota, and Sam, who was also bitten by these wolves and became one of them. No one in town knows the wolves are werewolves that change for the season. In the summer, Sam is a boy! In the winter, he's a wolf. No one in town notices that some people are only around in the summer. Yes, this is a plot hole, but the author attempts to explain this phenomenon through the fact, one year, the wolf will not change back and will be a wolf year round (until they die, and wolves apparently only live about fifteen years). Yes, this situation is rife for teen angst.  Grace and Sam are in love, and perhaps my biggest problem with this book was the lack of development of their love. Sure, one could argue they had a powerful connection and attraction, but I still think it was underdeveloped. Mostly, I didn't lik...