Book Review~Erebos by Ursula Poznanski

This was definitely not a book to be judged by the cover. To be honest, I almost didn't read it, there was something about the cover that didn't appeal to me and I can see my students doubting me if I were to recommend this book for them. That being said, I am pleased that I started it because I did get hooked pretty quickly.

It was easy to get sucked in when it started because just like Nick, you didn't know what was on the mysterious discs that seemed to make everyone start acting so strangely. Once Nick becomes a player in the world of Erebos, there really is no looking back. It requires complete commitment and may just turn out to be a matter of life and death.

Thanks to Annick Press and NetGalley for access to this title.

Book Review~13 Hangmen by Art Corriveau

This was a cute one. A nice break from some more serious books I've been reading. When Tony is about to turn 13, he is left a house on 13 Hangman Court by a mysterious uncle he only met once. Once his family moves into the house, Tony finds himself right in the middle of one big mystery. Being such a mystery fan, this is an absolute thrill for him, an escape from the monotony of being harassed by his mother to try and eat better to lose some weight and being teased by his brothers who can just about do it all.

A must read for middle grade boys. A might read for girls. A definite escape from all the other fantasy fiction out there.

Thank you to Abrams, Amulet Books and NetGalley for access to this title.

Book Review~Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Loved Greek myths when I was a kid and have enjoyed all the books written lately that have incorporated mythology into their stories. I liked the whole idea of Nikki's connections having been strong enough for her to come back from the Everneath to say her goodbyes. The story does start of a bit confusing, but if you hang in there it does prove worth it. And, it definitely leaves you wanting more!

Thanks to HarperCollins, Balzer + Bray, and NetGalley for access to this title.

Book Review~Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic

Loved this book!

Austin's way of dealing with the fact that he'll never actually reach the age of eighteen is to travel, with his best friend (and secret crush) Kaylee, to those in his life he thinks he may be able to help before he dies. He visits people whom he has wronged to apologize and also those who he thinks may need some guidance to recover from painful experiences so that they can enjoy the precious gift of life. His appearance has changed drastically due to the chemotherapy he has been going through and by making face-to-face contact, the people he visits are forced to confront the fragility of life. Though far-fetched to some degree, the story was well written and definitely worth reading!

Thank you to HMH Children's Books and NetGalley for access to this title.

Book Review~Blood Red Road by Moira Young

I was reluctant to read this one. Not sure exactly why. I saw it being promoted around its release date and read some reviews, but something made me hesitant. I eventually acquiesced and bought a copy.

Now that I have finished it, I am willing to admit that it was a decent story with some truly likeable characters. However, the writing style/language was a huge distraction for me. It's written in what some are calling a poetic or prose style. But, as far as I'm concerned, it's written in a backwoods, backwards English that made my grammar driven mind cringe. I can honestly say that it took till the very end of the book for the bad English not to interfere with my reading of this book. I just don't see how the writing style added to the book. Though I thought the story was gripping and exciting, I wish I would have just gotten it from the library rather than spending money on it.

Saba and Luce are twins who live out in the desert with their half crazy Pa and little sister Emmi. When Luce is kidnapped, Saba swears that she will find him. Saba tries to dump Emmi with an old friend of her mother's, but Emmi ends up following Saba and the two must find a way to put up with each other. They set out on their search and end up on quite the adventure, meeting both friends and enemies along the way.

Book Review~Divergent by Veronica Roth

When I saw all the promos for this book, I knew I'd have to read it eventually, just took me a little longer than I would've liked. Already cataloged and put the copy I bought in our school library. Now I just need to find a way to get a few more copies!

Beatrice and her brother Caleb have turned sixteen, which means it is now time to decide which faction they will choose to be a part of: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, or Erudite. Having both grown up as Abnegation, it is assumed that at least one of them will choose to remain. Once they have chosen, there is no going back.

Beatrice "Tris" discovers that there's something different about her and is warned not to discuss these differences with anyone. She soon finds herself part of a world where she must fight-physically and mentally, for a position among the top 10, or face the possibility of being factionless.

It is difficult to continue without giving away too much detail. Just trust me, as the story unfolds, it just keeps getting better and as the end of the book approaches you'll want to read slower to make it last as long as possible.

Book Review~Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff

Kid (yes, that's what "he" calls himself) has been living on the Brooklyn streets, in warehouses, and in the basement of a bar ever since his dad packed his stuff and told him to get out. He has a tendency to fall in love with other lost musicians-first Felix and then Scout. He somehow manages to surround himself with some caring adults who gently try to push Kid to make safe(r) decisions. He becomes the prime suspect in a warehouse fire for which he doesn't want to seem to admit he's not guilty of, not even to the police. Kid's guilt lies not in his responsibility for the fire itself but in who he lost in the fire. Kid must deal with his father's prejudices over his seemingly indeterminate sexual identity when the police release him into his parents' custody.

I enjoyed reading this book, but realized once I started to write this review that Kid's story might just be a little too neatly wrapped up. I have my doubts that a kid who finds himself living on the street would be fortunate enough to find not just one, but two, adults who truly have his best interests at heart. While there seems to be some debate about whether Kid is male or female, I have a hard time imagining a girl's father would have such issue with his daughter's sexual identity that he would kick her out of the house. I read the book thinking Kid was a boy, and still do even after seeing there's some debate over this.

I would definitely recommend this book for teens, especially those trying to figure out where they stand on the sexual identity spectrum.

Thanks to Lerner Publishing Group, Carolrhoda Lab and NetGalley for access to this title.

Book Review~Deviant by Adrian McKinty

Danny Lopez finds himself relocating to Colorado with his stepdad because his mom got a job running a new casino. He is enrolled in a local school that follows the Direct Instruction method: kids and teachers cannot talk other than to read from the scripted lesson of the day. Danny is befriended by Tony, the girl who lives across the street. There's a local scandal that Danny and his new friends start to investigate: someone is kidnapping cats and killing them. Danny decides to try and catch the killer on his own and things don't go quite the way he planned.

Danny was likable enough and the storyline kept me wanting to read to find out who is killing these cats and whether they move onto humans. But, there was a little something missing. The secondary characters were not very developed, actually Danny's skateboard was more developed than the characters were-the trick references were lost on me, but would surely appeal to skateboarders.

Thanks to ABRAMS, Amulet Books and Net Galley for access to this title.

Book Review~Lost Voices by Sarah Porter

Luce is fourteen-years-old and stuck living in Alaska with her uncle who she tries her best to avoid, especially when he's been drinking. After nearly being raped by him one evening, Luce abruptly finds herself being rescued underwater. She discovers that she is now part of a group of mermaids that were all transformed after something equally horrible happened to them. Luce discovers that the mermaids use their voices to enchant people on boats, but no human ever seeing or hearing a mermaid can be allowed to live. Luce struggles with this, she does not hate humans the way the other mermaids do. Luce retreats to her own cave to practice her singing and becomes a bit of an outcast. Things change drastically when a new girl, who shows the shimmer of a possible mermaid, is changed.

I did not like this book at all and was dismayed when I discovered it is the first in a planned trilogy!! The story barely limped its way through to the end! The characters were annoying and the whole premise just did not resonate with me at all. I had been excited by the prospect of a mermaid story, but was sadly disappointed.

Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books and Net Galley for access to this book.

Book Review~I, Emma Freke by Elizabeth Atkinson

When Emma discovers that her mom (who seems to be more of a kid than Emma is) tells her she's going to be home schooled, she figures this will help her escape from the misery of being teased for being so tall, skinny, red-haired twelve-year-old with a name that describes her when spoken aloud (am-a-freak). Being so different from her mother, Emma wonders if she's adopted. When she's invited to attend a family reunion by the Freke side of the family, she thinks everything will be explained once she meets these long lost relatives. When she arrives at the reunion, and discovers there are very specific rules and a rigid schedule to follow, she realizes there may not be as much wrong with her unstructured life as she thought.

A very cute story! Will definitely recommend it to my students!!

Thanks to Lerner Publishing Group, Carolrhoda Books and NetGalley for access to this great read.

Book Review~The Crepe Makers' Bond by Julie Crabtree

Ariel, Nicki, and Mattie are three best friends about to head into their last year of middle school. When Mattie finds out her mom plans to move, she & Ariel decide the only solution is for Mattie to move in with Ariel. What they think will be a fantastic year turns ends up threatening their whole friendship.

There are recipes for the dishes that Ariel makes throughout the book, a very cute addition. The lessons about friendships and family are abundant and the story will definitely be enjoyed by girls of all ages.

Thanks to Milkweed Editions and Net Galley for access.

Book Review~Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

So, I found this book in the "library" at a resort I went to in Jamaica. I've always been a fan of the zombie genre, so I figured I'd give it a shot. It was awesome!! Great YA book!
Benny Imura and his brother Tom have never really been that close. Benny blames Tom for the death of their parents and Tom just wants to protect Benny from any further pain. Now that Benny is 15, it's time for him to figure out what job he's going to start so that his food rations don't get cut in half. It would make sense if Benny became his brother's apprentice and learned the ways of the zombie bounty hunter, but the last thing Benny wants is to have to spend time with his brother. When all other options are exhausted, Benny must relent and join his brother. He quickly learns that much of what he thought about his brother, zombies, and life in general is really not all that cut and dry and he starts to realize there's much more to his brother then he thought.

Book Review~Also Known as Rowan Pohi by Ralph Fletcher

Dealing with his mom leaving after his dad did time for burning her with an iron, Bobby is spending the last few days of summer hanging with his two best friends. They decide to pull the ultimate prank and create an imaginary boy to apply to Whitestone, the nearby private school. They are all flabbergasted when Rowan is accepted and set to start in just a few days.
Bobby impulsively decides to pretend to be Rowan and goes to the new student orientation. He enjoys himself so much, he decides to continue the charade just a bit longer. When a couple of bullies from Whitestone threaten to tell the headmaster he's not really Rowan unless he pays them $10 a week, Bobby declines. He's pulled from class, suspended, and a hearing to decide Bobby's fate is scheduled.

I enjoyed this book tremendously! Bobby Steele, aka Rowan Pohi, was a really likable character! I would definitely enjoy reading more about him-sequel anyone?!?

Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Clarion Books, and Net Galley for allowing access to this great read! I will definitely be adding it to our school's collection and recommending it for the students to read.

Book Review~Bumped by Megan McCafferty

If a virus existed that made women infertile after the age of 18, what would would society do to ensure continued procreation? Bumped takes on this premise by describing a society where a teenage girl's highest aspiration is to find the right couple to agree to have a baby for; the wealthier, the better. Some girls even enter into birthing contracts where in exchange for their services they receive a car, college tuition, and sometimes even a tummy tuck after giving birth.

The story centers around a pair of identical twins who were separated at birth. Melody ended up with a well-to-do family in New Jersey while Harmony has been raised in a Pennsylvania religious compound that has girls get married as soon as they are able to have children. Harmony decides to find Melody in an effort to save her. Harmony ends up being mistaken for Melody just as the ultimate partner has been found for her. Chaos ensues while each girl gets the chance to explore how different life could be.

I'm sure many young adults will enjoy this book as it was an easy read. The idea was interesting, but fell short in its delivery for me. Some of the references to the drugs used to make casual sex more comfortable and the masSEX parties where the main aim was for the girls to all get pregnant at the same time were approached too lightly with no mention of the repercussions of such actions.

Thanks to HarperCollins, Balzer + Bray and NetGalley for access to this egalley.

Book Review~Those That Wake by Jesse Karp

Those That Wake presents a society not too far off from our own where people are focused on their cells more than on the people they walk by. What they don't realize is that there is a power that is taking control over their minds making them unaware of how many decisions are being made for them.

The main characters, Mal, Laura, Mike and Remak have become unplanned allies. Strangers, they all discover through one means or another that no one knows them anymore. As, or perhaps because, they try to figure out what has happened, they discover that their lives are in danger. Fighting together, they try to overcome the power that has made them the forgotten.

An interesting idea for a book, but a little too abstract for my taste. I thought the characters were never fully developed and the ending was mostly predictable. Yet somehow the book left me with more questions than answers. Maybe that was the idea?!?

Thanks to Houghton Mifflin, Harcourt and NetGalley for access to this egalley.