15 Days Without a Head by Dave Cousins

15 Days Without a Head

Dave Cousins

YA Contemporary

Summary: Fifteen-year-old Laurence Roach just wants a normal life, but it’s far from easy with his little brother who acts like a dog and their depressed alcoholic mother. If Laurence can win the luxury vacation in a local radio contest, he’s certain his mum will finally be happy again. Then one night she doesn’t come home from work, and Laurence must face the reality that she might not come back at all.

Terrified that child services will separate him from his brother, Laurence does whatever he can to keep their mother’s disappearance a secret. For two weeks, he spins a web of complicated lies to friends, neighbors, and the authorities—even dressing up in his mother’s clothes to convince everyone she’s still around. But Laurence can’t hide the truth forever. He begins a desperate search for her, and that’s when the real trouble starts in this powerful story about family, forgiveness, and hope.

My Take: Laurence isn’t your typical 15-year-old. He lives in a run-down, small apartment infested with roaches, a brother who thinks he’s a dog at times, and an alcoholic mother. But that changes when Laurence wakes up one morning to find that his mom didn’t return home from work the night before.

Determined not to let outsiders know what’s going on, and telling himself and his little brother that, “Mom will come back soon”, Laurence lives the most dangerous 15 days he’s ever known. No money, running out of food, and a nosey neighbor that would turn them into social workers are the stakes he’s playing against. But he’s convinced he has a couple of advantages. One being the late night radio contest he’s been sneaking out to enter. If he wins, he wins a family trip to any vacation spot they want. He knows this win will bring his mom back from her drunken stupor and make them a family again. At least, he hopes it will. At the very least, it will put her in a good mood. The second ace in his hand is a girl from school, who keeps his secret and helps keep him and his brother alive.

Although a gloomy and serious story, Cousins manages to fill the pages with bits of humor and lightness that equal out the trials Laurence is experiencing. A touching story about sticking together as a family, forgiveness, and learning to trust again, 15 Days Without a Head is a great read.

Rating: I’d give this a solid 4/5 and rate the content as PG for some mild language and drinking.

Happy reading, my friends! 

--Me

You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle

You Look Different in Real Life

Jennifer Castle

June 4, 2013

HarperCollins (?)

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this honest review. 

Publisher’s Summary

Readers of John Green, Sarah Dessen, and Laurie Halse Anderson will be touched by the emotional depth and realistic characters of Jennifer Castle’s YA novel You Look Different in Real Life.

Justine charmed the nation in a documentary film featuring five kindergartners. Five years later, her edgy sense of humor made her the star of a second movie that caught up with the lives of the same five kids.

Now Justine is sixteen, and another sequel is in the works. Justine isn’t ready to have viewers examining her life again. She feels like a disappointment, not at all like the girl everyone fell in love with in the first two movies. But, ready or not, she and the other four teens will soon be in front of the cameras again.

Smart, fresh, and frequently funny, You Look Different in Real Life is a piercing novel about life in an age where the lines between what’s personal and what’s public aren’t always clear.

My Take

I’ve never read any of Jennifer’s books before now so “You Look Different” was a good one to cut my teeth on.  Justine has mixed emotions about the cameras that will soon be documenting her life again for the big screen. There’s too much to live up to and as she examines her own life, she realizes that she’s disappointed herself a little. Not living out the dreams or goals she had at eleven. Letting friendships go because they didn’t “fit” anymore, and drifting away from others for reasons she doesn’t really understand.

So agreeing to the sequel of Five at is less than exciting. As she’s struggling to figure out what to show the camera and what the public wants to see, Justine ends up discovering herself. She finds out who she really is, who her friends really are and growing into the person she’s always been, but never seen.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It’s fast moving, funny, and real. Castle did a fantastic job with Justine growing in each relationship with the other Five at stars, as well as each character growing on their own. Even though Justine is the center of the novel, the other characters are still given a fair amount of screen time.

My Rating: 4/5 stars, worth the read. 

--Me

Just Read!

Not Exactly a Love Story

By Audrey Couloumbis

4/5 coffee beans

Flashback to young love with this entertaining and fast read. See the full review, here. 

The choice is yours, what do you believe?

Life of Pi
Author: Yann Martel
Genre: YA-ish (old man telling of his adventure at 16 years old)
Coffee Beans: 4/5
Content Rating: PG-13 (there's some extreme, graphic violence)
Favorite Line: "The main battlefield for good is not the open ground of the public arena but the small clearing of each heart." (pg 71, printed copy)
Cover Love: Simplisticly awesome
Instalove Factor: None present.
Personal Recommendation: Read it, but it's an investment of time and brain cells. But worth it.


Life of Pi is a very unique book written in so many layers about religion, survival, right and wrong and at a very collegiate level. The writing is fantastic (almost hypnotic at times), the details both captivating and repulsive, and the overall story so imaginative, I can't help but wonder, What was the point?

Let me explain.

The book is a lot like the movie Castaway with Tom Hanks, but on a boat instead of an island and with a Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker  instead of a volleyball named Wilson.

But there wasn't any real storyline or significant plot in the traditional sense. This boy is lost out at sea for 227 days before he's found (and you know he survives because this book is an interview, you find that out in the beginning). The first quarter of the book is about his childhood growing up, how he got his nickname Pi, his schooling, and what it was like to grow up living in a zoo (his father was the head man at the Pondicherry Zoo in India). While it was fascinating to learn the ins and outs of zoos and the different animals, the narrative was almost written like a nonfiction, collegiate fashion that somewhat bored me and I ended up skimming a little.

He also goes into theology. Pi, as a young boy (he's sixteen through most of this), constantly says that he just wants to love God. As a result, he starts to follow not one religion, but three. Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. Needless to say, this was a bit of an ordeal for his agnostic parents and the religious leaders of the different houses of worship he was attending when they all found out, but you couldn't help but want to encourage young Pi in his journey of seeking God. After all, he just wanted to love God, so why did he have to pick only one religion to do so. While that vein of his life story was interesting, going into the dry, theological details of each religion was not, so I skimmed some of this, at times, as well.

The next section was the majority of the book, and consisted of his story being stuck out at sea. This was the most interesting part of the book, obviously. And while it didn't have any on the edge of your seat action/peril/look out! moments, it was still very interesting. Martel has a subtle way of telling the details of a story that seep into every pore of your body. As Pi was baking from the sun and his skin getting tortured by the salt spray, I could have sworn my skin tightened with dehydration. I really could taste his victory of food and fresh water when he found it, and was scared for him being exposed in the wild Pacific ocean. This, to me, was the best part of the book, but I couldn't help but wish for more of a story arc.

The last section of the book (about twenty pages or so) takes place when his ordeal ends. Even though this was the smallest section, I almost liked this the most. I got more personality from Pi, and this was where the most thought provoking element of the book comes from. You are presented with a question, and given the background of the book, and everything we learn about Pi, it's not the question I thought it was going to be when I started reading the book. As a reader, you are given two very plausible outcomes or paths to choose that come from the question. It's almost heart wrenching, the different possibilities. One is so real, and so tragic, that you don't want to pick that answer, you're more willing to pick the more fantastical option, however absurd it may be.

But in the end, the answer I chose to believe, I hope that is the truth. Because it is a sad and beautiful possibility.

I would love to get a discussion group together to talk about this book to see what everyone's thoughts were, how they reacted to the storyline, which answer they believe to be correct and why, and just to hear their overall impressions. I also am planning on going to see the movie. I heard it was fantastic and very beautifully filmed and followed the book masterfully.

In the end, I would recommend this book. It's not an easy read, nor is it a light read. And you may end up like me at the end, wondering what the whole point was, while still understanding what the whole point was. But all-in-all, it was worth my time.

Happy reading, my friends!

 --Me

A well-written book about a sensitive topic

Easy

Author: Tammara Webber

Genre: NA (New Adult)

Content Rating: R for, you know…

Coffee Beans: 4

Favorite Line:

Personal Recommendation: Read it. Now

Cover Appeal: Awesome sauce

Instalove Factor: None present

Spoliers: Yes, sort of. But I warn you when

Publisher’s Summary:

A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex's frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night--but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.

When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he's hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

My Review:

Easy is a very convoluted, detailed book. And not in a bad way. I tried explaining it to my friend when she asked what it was about, and I realized, at the end of my sloppy description, that there is A LOT going on in the story. Let’s see if I can make it better this time around.

Mostly, this book is about Jacqueline’s journey through coping with the fact that she was assaulted and almost raped by someone she knew, and then her relationship with Lucas. But mostly her relationship with Lucas and him helping her and her being empowered to deal with what happened to her.

See? Even that was messy.  *sigh*

Let’s get out of the way what I didn’t like (and this is a bit of a spoiler, so skip a head if you don’t want to read this). There were two things.

1.       She has this attraction to Lucas, a guy in her econ class. He’s super cute, a bad boy, and according to her friends--the perfect rebound guy from her recent break-up. So, she toys with him. He plays along. They make out and then at class the next day, they completely ignore each other like nothing ever happened. Like the hadn’t even met!! That, to me, was frustrating and a tad unbelievable. But not a deal breaker.

2.       Because of said break-up, (and the assault) she’s in a hot, emotional mess, and skips two weeks of her econ class because her ex is taking it, too. The teacher says she can take up tutoring with the TA (who she’s never met) to catch up on what she missed and then get a project assignment to make up for her midterm. His name is Landon.

Landon.

Lucas.

Lucas.

Landon.

Anyone else seeing what’s being set up here? To me, it was completely obvious that they were the same guy. Like, 100%, no bones about it. I can’t believe Jacqueline didn’t pick up on it.

So those were the only two issues I had. The rest is all good.

The writing of Tammara is very, very good. It seems, with these types of books (I don’t know if they have an official genre or not. But you know the ones; Beautiful Disaster, Crash/Clash, 50 Shades), writing seems to come secondary to all the other “stuff”. But with Tammara, writing and telling the story comes first. And it’s soooo well done. All of it.

I enjoyed the characters immensely. Jacqueline was a real person with believable actions and thoughts, her friend Erin was saucy and offered strength, wisdom, and comedic relief. And Lucas was actually a strong male character in this book. And not just physically strong (cuz he was that, too), but he was mature and reasonable and was kinda just a normal guy (thank you, Tammara. There aren’t enough Lucas’ in YA/NA/Crossover books).

I LOVED how Tammara talked about the importance of a female knowing that being raped isn’t their fault. That it’s not something to be ashamed of, and it’s okay to get help. She delivered all the important information and the truth of the situation in a natural way and at no time did I feel like I was reading a PSA (public service announcement).

I’ll tell you this, I’m signing up for a self-defense class after reading this book.

One thing I do wish, that she added a little more to the stalker element of the story. I think that would have added a bit more depth to the plot, given it a bit more to sink my teeth into.

And I loved that this was a standalone book. Can you tell that I’m not really into books that are setting up a series?

Happy reading, my friends!

--Me

90’s nostalgia, here I come

Drain You
By M. Beth Bloom
YA Paranormal Romance (light romance)
HarperTeen, July 24^th, 2012
Rating: Strong PG-13. Open door sex scenes, but no really details given
Coffee Beans: 4/5
Favorite Lines: So I loved Libby, but in a vintage way. Like a childhood blanket, or my dad's mac and cheese. A deep love, but not one you tap into on a daily basis. (Ebook, pg 25)


Okay, no big deal, I'd just call Stiles…at his underground lair, where he most likely had Libby chained to a radiator and she was loving it. Stella gave me the number, which contained not even one six, let alone the three in a row I'd expected. (Ebook, pg 76)


…I drew on so much eyeliner I looked like a sobbing drunk raccoon on a tequila bender… (Ebook pg 134)


Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.


Publisher's Summary:

Every night I'd lie there in bed and look out at the hills behind our house, listening. I knew there'd be consequences.

Actions meant reactions. Sunrises meant sunsets. My fear was too permanent, lasting longer than eyeliner, something I wore every day and didn't wash off.

Quinlan Lacey's life is a red carpet of weird fashions, hip bands, random parties, and chilling by the pool with her on-and-off BFF Libby. There's also her boring job (minimum wage), a crushed-out coworker (way too interested), her summer plans (nada), and her parents (totally clueless). Then one night she meets gorgeous James, and Quinn's whole world turns crazy, Technicolor, 3-D, fireworks, whatever.

But with good comes bad and unfortunately, Quinn's new romance brings with it some majorly evil baggage. Now, to make things right, she has to do a lot of things wrong (breaking and entering, kidnapping, lying, you name it).

There's normal, and then there's paranormal, and neither are Quinlan's cup of Diet Coke. Staying sane, cool, in love, and alive isn't so easy breezy.

My Review:

I admit, when I read the first chapter, I wasn't that impressed. The voice was a little off and the writing didn't grab me. But I kept reading and figured out that this was pretty much awesomeness. It instantly reminded me of The Lost Boys, but now. It also reminded me of the 90's (which I loved) and made me want to move back to SoCal and remember the good times I had while growing up. 

There were multiple things that impressed me with this book:

• The dialogue. Snappy, witty, snarky, and funny, Bloom's dialogue is just downright good. I was there, it was real, and it carried the story much more than just narrative alone
  
• The MC's voice. Quinn has a dark sense of humor and is so quick with everything, and her attitude of "whatever" is the icing on the cake. There were so many funny lines that were added that perfect certain something, which made the entire reading experience that much better
  
• The MC. Quinn, for me, is very real. She cares deeply about those who mean something to her. She doesn't know what she wants when it comes to boys. She's shallow and selfish at times, but she has drive. And I didn't find that off-putting at any point. Mainly because she gets called on it (several times) and she knows it's the truth. But we've all been there. Admit it.
  
• The relationships. There are several different, unique relationships Quinn is a part of, and they all come to life so realistically. Her absentee parents but their very functional relationship. Her coworker and complicated relationship-er, Morgan. Her casual best friend, Libby. The snobby girl from school, Naomi. James, the hot brother Quinn never knew existed. The equally hot other brother and instant best friend when crush disappears, Whit. And the evil twins, Stiles and Sanders. They all work brilliantly.
  
• The package. I'm assuming this is going to be a series. Depending on how well this one goes. I thought it was a tight, well-written story encapsulated into one book. The ending was finite but there are definitely LOTS of questions that still need answering.
  

There was one thing that didn't sit well with me, though.

• Instalove. I'm not a fan of this. It's unbelievable and really jars me out of a story. Yeah, we get Quinn thinks James is hot and she's majorly crushing on him and they have to get together for the sake of plot progression. But getting as close and invested as they did—and in only a week—is a little hard for me to swallow.
  
• The MC sleeps. A lot. Which isn't bad, I guess. But she's always tired and sleeping. *Shrugs shoulders* Just thought I'd mention that.
  

If you're a fan of the 90's (and if you aren't, you should be), if you liked The Lost Boys (and if you didn't, shame on you. Watch it again and change your mind), and if you enjoy dark humor, pick up the book. You'll probably be pretty entertained. 
Pick it up and decide for yourself. :)
And yes, this is another vampire book. I love them so much <3

Diva by Jillian Larkin Delivers (as always)

Diva by Jillian Larkin
YA Historical Fiction
Rating: PG
Coffee Beans: 4 of 5 stars
Spoilers: Nope
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free via the publisher in exchange for this honest review.

Publisher’s Summary:
Parties, bad boys, speakeasies—life in Manhattan has become a woozy blur for Clara Knowles. If Marcus Eastman truly loved her, how could he have fallen for another girl so quickly? Their romance mustn't have been as magical as Clara thought. And if she has to be unhappy, she's going to drag everyone else down to the depths of despair right along with her.

Being a Barnard girl is the stuff of Lorraine Dyer's dreams. Finding out that Marcus is marrying a gold digger who may or may not be named Anastasia? A nightmare. The old Lorraine would have sat by and let the chips fall where they may, but she's grown up a lot these past few months. She can't bear to see Marcus lose a chance for true love. But will anyone listen to her?

Now that the charges against her have been dropped, Gloria Carmody is spending the last dizzying days of summer on Long Island, yachting on the sound and palling around with socialites at Forrest Hamilton's swanky villa. Beneath her smile, though, Gloria's keeping a secret. One that could have deadly consequences . . .

My Review:
I received Vixen (book 1 in the Flapper Series) a couple of years ago and LOVED it. I requested an ARC of Ingenue, book 2 in the series, and was denied. When Diva, book 3, came out, I tried again and was rewarded.

What I liked:
Even though I hadn’t read Ingenue, I knew where Vixen left off and where Diva picked up, and with the clues that Larkin sprinkled in throughout the story, I was able to fill in the story holes and not miss a beat.

Larkin does, once again, a brilliant job of making this another character driven novel. I love how the story is told from the points of view of all the main characters. Doing that really gave me a well-rounded and personal feel for each of the girls (and occasional guy), as well as a more 3-D image of the story. We’re given a view from Gloria that we would NEVER get from Clara. And the humor Lorraine provides would never be there had we only been told the story from Jerome’s point of view. You can’t help but form strong attachments to even the smaller-role characters with the way Larkin writes.

The 20’s has always been a favorite time period for me, and to have Larkin describe everything the way she does just puts me in heaven. I’d love to see this made into a movie so I could visually lust after all the gowns and shoes.

Favorite Line: It was better to risk loving too much before it was too late and all you were left with was regret. (pg 305, ebook)

What I didn’t like:
Even though I loved all the fashion talk about clothes and dresses, and I know that that was a big component of the 20’s, the name dropping got to be bit much at times.

I was a bit confused with Larkin’s dialogue tags. There would be a quote, then another person would be performing an action tagged onto someone else’s dialogue.

There were a few really good emotional scenes that really carry the momentum of the story that were interrupted with too much narrative which pulled me out and made the scene lose the impact Larkin was trying to give it. Also, there were a few high tension scenes that were just too short lived.

Overall, this is another terrific book in the Flapper Series, seamlessly knit with the first two, and an easy read. I really enjoyed reading it and will go back and pick up the second book just so I can get more of the Gloria, Clara, and Lorraine.

Happy reading, my friends!

--Me

Vampire General Book Report

Vampire General (Book one of the Intern with a Vampire series)
By: Kit Iwasaki
Genre: Paranormal Medical Drama (I think I just made that genre up, btw :) )
Pub Date: April 13, 2011
Rating: PG
Coffee Beans: 4/5
Spoilers: None
Favorite Line: A man vomited blood on the floor behind them, then tried to sneak a bottle of Jack Daniels from his jacket to wash out his mouth.(ebook, pg 6)
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for this honest review.


Author's Summary: Human medicine is easy. On her first day at Grace General Hospital, new intern Aline Harman risks vampire infection, vivisection, and having her heart torn out of her chest… and this from her colleagues.

Juggling transhuman politics only becomes more difficult when a patient's life is at stake. With a zombie to resuscitate and a mermaid in critical care, Aline has her hands full. At least the doctors are good-looking.


My Review:


This book only took me about a day and a half to read through because it's well-written, creative, and fast-paced. It also helps that the book is only around 32,000 words (about a quarter the length of what I usually read), so I consider this book more of a novella than a novel. Which isn't a bad thing at all, though I generally like my books a little longer so I have more of a story to get into and more of the characters to get involved and attached to.

Kit Iwasaki is a talented writer who knows how to involve her reader in a fast-paced, clean story with interesting characters. The setting is ideal: an ER full of transhumant patients, urgency and tension, attractive doctors, potentially dangerous co-workers, and a whole set of rules the main character, Aline, is learning how to play by. In the short amount of time we're given, Iwaski does a pretty impressive job of showing us who the characters are and giving us a bit of a story to get attached to. Her previous experience being a premed student comes in handy to make everything in the book believable.

So, if it's a good story, good characters, and great writing, why the 4 stars instead of something higher?

I think that with everything Kit gives the reader, there's an awesome potential of there being so much more available for the reader. As it is, there's not much time for Kit to make sure we connect and understand her characters on more than just a surface level. We see how they react to a situation, but we don't understand, on a deeper level, why they do what they do. For example, when Aline finds out about this whole paranormal world, we don't get much of a reaction from her, which I can't help but feel a bit cheated about.

I also felt there were broken promises for romantic possibilities between Aline and a couple characters. I know leaving the romances unresolved leaves openings for other books (which there are), but there was such an intense and immediate build up between Aline and the other characters and it was washed away with a fire hose as soon as it caught fire. It felt a bit like a broken promise or at the very least being a tease.

The last thing I found a bit disappointing was the depth of the plot. Yes, Aline gets dumped into a pretty weird work situation, but to me, that isn't enough, I kept waiting for the larger, main plotline to come into play, more than just what her night was like at this transhuman hospital, but I didn't feel like it was ever delivered. There were several hints to one, so I know it's there, I just have a feeling the author's waiting to unveil it throughout her other books, which I'm not a fan of. Maybe a larger, connecting plot that threads through the series, but each book needs to have its own standalone plot that carries it.

Overall, it was a very good book. Engaging, fast-paced, well-written. The few issues I had were a direct result of the book being so short. I have no doubt, that if it were a regular length novel, none of my points would have remained issues. But, in the end, it really comes down to making your reader want to read more, and if you've done that, you've succeeded in one of the main goals of being an author, which Kit nailed. :) I'll purchase the second book in the series, Slash and Burn, when it comes out (Summer 2012, GoodReads says), to see what happens with Cassie and what—if anything—happens between Aline and a couple certain coworkers. I only hope the second book's a little longer than the first so it gives me something more to sink my teeth into.

Pick it up and check it out for yourself, it's only $0.99 over at Smashwords, and if you're a sucker for a good vampire book and good writing like I am, you'll enjoy this story.

Happy reading, my friends!

There You’ll Find Me Book Report

There You'll Find Me 
By:Jenny B. Jones
Genre: YA Christian Fiction
Coffee Beans: 4/5
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Minor
Disclaimers: This book was provided for review by Netgalley
Favorite Line: You sounded down on the phone yesterday. You can talk to your old dad about anything, you know. Except boys. And bras. And that Bieber fellow.

I was supposed to be reading another book, but opened this one by mistake. Once I started reading, though, I couldn't stop. I have to say, I didn't know what I was getting into when I picked this book up, but I'm glad I did. There You'll Find Me is a YA light romance about a young girl who's still trying to cope with the loss of her older brother and at the same time trying to renew her faith and relationship with God.

Publisher's Summary:

When Finely books her trip to Ireland as a foreign exchange student, all she wants to do is let her heart heal, see the sights in her brother's favorite country, and work on her college audition piece for a prestigious music conservatory. She plans to use her brother's journal from his time in the Emerald Isle as her guide during her stay, yet from the moment she boards the plane and sits next to Beckett Rush, teen star of the hottest vampire flicks, nothing goes according to her well-ordered plan.

The peace and beauty of the Irish village are no match for the chaos that soon becomes her life. When she gets roped into working as Beckett Rush's personal assistant, she finds this famous wild child is not quite what he seems. And as she grows closer to the mysterious actor, her own secrets refuse to stay put.

I love how Jones "rips from the headlines" her characters. I got a good chuckle out of the fact that Finley is the daughter of a hotel mogul who's got herself in a bit of trouble with her partying ways after the loss of Will, her brother. And that Beckett is a teen heart throb actor who's currently filming a vampire movie in Ireland. It's the typical Girl-is-not-impressed-by-hot-guy-every-other-girl-wants-so-as-a-result-guy-really-wants-plain-girl. But I was okay with that. The bantering relationship between Finley and Beckett was fun and didn't grow boring. I found myself laughing quite a few times out loud.

Jones does a good job slipping in the reality that everyone has their secrets for whatever reasons, and some are more dangerous to keep than others. Jones slipped in some subtle hints throughout the book that Finley might have an eating disorder, but it leaves you guessing one way or another until well into the book. The book goes into depression and body image and self-esteem that every young girl goes through, and Jones does so in a very believable, natural-to-the-story way. I found myself nodding many times thinking, "yup, been there before, plenty of times".

The story is smooth and believable with the protag's internal struggle with her own depression from beginning through the climax to the end, and shows just how easy it is, with the right conditions, for a person to spiral down certain paths. There were also many emotional points throughout the story that made me tear up a little. Mainly Finley's own struggles (been there, done that) as well as her relationship with others.

Now for the bad. And it's really not that bad. Finley was a well-rounded, deep character. Beckett was pretty okay, considering we're seeing him through Finley's eyes. The others? Not so much. I felt they were pretty flat and could have been a little more intricate. Like Beatrice. Yeah, she's the queen bee biotch, but there could have been more complication with her than there was.

Anyway, it's a fun, sweet, good book. Worth the read and kept me turning the pages, always thinking about what was going on between Finely and Beckett when I wasn't reading. Even though the only character I found 3-D enough was Finley, the author did such a good job weaving the story together and making me want to get back to it whenever I was away. Because of that, I gave it a good, solid 4 coffee beans.

Pick it up and give it a read. Decide for yourself. Happy reading, my friends!

Cinder Book Report

Cinder

By: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA Sci-fi/dystopian

Rating: PG

Coffee Beans: 4/5

Spoilers: Some minor-ish ones


 
Publisher's Summary:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

My Review:

I got this book as an ARC and was so entirely thrilled when it showed up in the mail. The cover was awesome and the premise was exciting. Cinder is an interesting dystopian/sci-fi telling of a classic fairytale. I must admit, I'm a sucker for books that do this, and do it well. Cinder is a book that came so close, but in the end, fell a little short. But that doesn't mean it didn't offer a lot between the front and back covers.

The world Cinder lives in is industrialized and cluttered. Technology abounds but not in a futuristic "everything is completely awesome" sort of way. China rules the globe (Cinder lives in New Beijing) ruled by an emperor with a handsome son. There's also a colony of Lunar people who are evil and bent on over-taking earth (the hardest part of the book for me to swallow), and there's that nasty disease that's spreading through the city.

Cinder is a cyborg, a thing to be shunned and spit on in the streets, and she has a gimpy foot. Her step mother and two step sisters treat her as if she's worthless and force her to slave every day in the market, where she has the reputation as being the best mechanic in all of New Beijing. You guessed it, one day the prince comes to her shop, disguised, and asks her to fix his robot. As she's working on it, she uncovers some secrets the prince has been trying to hide—he's looking up information and contacting people he's not supposed to.

When Cinder's youngest step sister contracts the disease, and she gets blamed, her stepmother sends her the palace to be experimented on (as what happens to a majority of the cyborgs). So much happens at the palace and in the labs, that if I tell you, I'll spoil a lot of secrets. Let's just say it's pretty intense and, surprisingly, pretty unpredictable. Lots of twists and turns in this story. Meyer did really well on interpreting the classic fairytale and then warping it into her own story. I loved finding the parallels and seeing how she filled in the holes.

Meyer did a fantastic job really building up the characters. All of them are round, like they've never missed a meal a day in their lives. I felt like I knew each and everyone. She did a great job setting up the world and the characters and the story in the beginning of the book. I knew it was going to be deep and rich and layered and just overall, amazing. But as the story went on, I felt that Meyer kind of broke her promise to me. I felt like the last part of the book was rushed and not as detailed and woven as the beginning. It was good, and answered a majority of my questions, but I felt it could have been so much better; like Meyer didn't live up to her or her book's potential.

What's my usual disclaimer, folks? Pick it up and read it for yourself and form your own thoughts. It was a good book and I'll for sure be recommending it to others. I'll even pick up the second one to see what happens because I like the characters enough to see what Meyer's going to put them through. Happy reading, my friends!

The Stuttering Tattoo

The Sutttering Tattoo
By Greg Logsted
YA Thriller
PG-13
4/5 coffee beans
Spoilers? Nah
Available now on ebook
Favorite line in the book: "You have to launch yourself into your passion. You have to lose yourself in your dreams. You can't allow yourself to fall short to be less than who you are."

This was an ARC I received through Net Galley (that really is a rockin' site). This book is outside my normal realm of reading (I'm not really a thriller/mystery kind of gal) but the cover was awesome so I decided to give it a go; and I'm glad I did. Here's the blurb from the back of the book:

Steven Bishop is extraordinarily ordinary. He goes to school. He rides his motorcycle. He stutters. His best friend is a former Colombian cartel hit man turned cook/construction worker. You know, ordinary. All that changes the day Becky Moore walks into his classroom. Becky is dazzling, enigmatic. 


One day Steven gives Becky a ride home on his motorcycle. There, they discover a severed arm, one of the fingers of which still has an unusual ring attached: a circle, in the middle of which is a heart, at the center of which is a bold number 37. While comforting Becky, Steven discovers a tattoo at the base of her neck: it is the same symbol. And so begins a thrilling descent into a world of crime and murder, a ride wilder than any Steven has taken before.

So, the book opens with what I'm sure is a typical high-school daydream. As the day goes on, a new classmate, Becky, comes to school. He's hypnotized by her beauty and strong personality, and mystery. Who is this Becky?? He ends up giving her a ride home, he loves the way she clings to him on his motorcycle (gag), they almost kiss, a tragedy occurs, and now they're linked together in a way that propels the story forward and lets us know that Steven will do anything to keep/save Becky. While the action and hook in the first couple of chapters to get us to this point were A-MA-ZING, I truly felt this instant connection and blind devotion to Becky that follows is a little forced.

With this, we're introduced to our main character, Steven. He's not especially popular, actually, he's made fun of a lot because of his stutter (although we never see that in the book). He's 17, good looking (we're told he resembles Johnny Depp), buff (works out in the school's weight room every day), is amazing at martial arts (he takes lessons from Carlos, his Colombian cartel hit man friend who just happens to also be teaching the sensei of the dojo), he loves him some coffee, and he has a sweet old motorcycle. I think I like this main character. Oh, and he's brave, and loyal, and…..anyone else think he should have flaws other than a stutter that seemingly goes unnoticed to everyone else?

Logsted is an great writer. I sped through the book at a good speed, always wanting to turn just one more page. His descriptions were really creative and really helped me open my eyes as a writer that the sky's the limit. Examples:

• "The minute hand seems frozen, scared, as if it's standing on the edge of a building contemplating suicide."
  
• "I just look at her: she talks so fast. Joining a conversation with her would be like jumping on a moving train."
  
• "She's wearing large sunglasses, designer-type clothes, and jewelry draped around her neck and wrists like Christmas lights."
  
• "I know they say all is fair in love and war but that doesn't make sense to me. That doesn't make something wrong right. It's just a long dark coat of words worn by liars, thieves and cowards."
  

He does a good job of getting us key points of backstory through dialogue in a realistic way. I don't feel as if the author is cheating and using dialogue to fill me in. Instead, I feel as if I've walked into a discussion that Steven and his dad have had numerous times before, and this is all very natural.

There were a few parts that were hard to swallow for me in this book. The first I already told you about. The second is when Steven goes into a bar to see Becky and her band play a gig. Pretty much every high-school kid has a fake ID, so I'm okay with that part. The part I'm not really okay with is when he orders a beer, his coach from school sees him, and condones what he's doing. When just one chapter before, he was busting Steven's chops for not showing up to gym on time. It would've been more believable had the coach given him lip service and then not followed through with action. But that's just one little thing. The third is Steven's dad. He's a cop—which is fine, but it always seems that every action he does, every look he gives, is a clear sign that "something was bothering him" or "a clear sign that he was angry". As humans, we all have several characteristics that come into play when we're upset, but in a book, it's best to stick to one of those things as being "a clear sign" of a certain mood. I found myself rolling my eyes when they came up and thinking, "Man, Steven's dad is a drag."

Some events were a little jarring or predictable. There's one part where a man turns out to be a woman, impersonating another woman, and another part where Steven gets a phone call from someone who says he "has uber important things to discuss with him" but refuses to discuss anything over the phone, telling him he'll talk about it tomorrow. I have a note in my Nook at that point: Cue dead phone caller…..now. Yup. Next chapter, dies in a house fire.

There were a lot of analogies and metaphors and comparisons to water and swimming. When I started to take notice of this, I got pulled from the story every time one was brought up. I wonder if Logsted is a swimmer? But, I liked that each chapter had a title. So many books now just have numbers. I guess it's easier than trying to find a clever chapter title that captures the essence of what the reader's going to be reading next. I'm so glad The Stuttering Tattoo had them. Logsted took the titles straight out of the text of the chapter so it was fun to try and hunt them down (I'm easily amused at times).

When reading a book, you always discover things about the author. I know that Greg probably likes coffee, perhaps a bit about martial arts/working out/fighting, and knows a bit about old motorcycles. That last one is my favorite. I want one so bad. There's a scene where he's in a chase scene with a "rice rocket" (as his dad calls them). It was a great chase scene and broken down and described in a way that was easy to understand and follow for the layman but exciting and engaging enough to shout, "Yes!" when things crashed.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was engaging and interesting and overall believable (as much as getting mixed up with a deadly organized crime gang can be). Steven isn't some superhero kid, he's just has the right tools and a smart head on his shoulders and isn't afraid when it comes to fighting for what's right or what's his. Great writing and likable characters, I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes this genre. It's a great gate for YA that will lead them to Thor, Meltzer, Grisham, and Coben.




 

 

Matched by Ally Condie

Matched by Ally Condie

(Crossed, the second in the series, is available now)
YA Distopian

Rating: 4/5

Spoiler Alert: Nope


I've taken to writing down things that catch my interest at the moment in the margins of the books I read and realize that I enjoy doing that; it helps when it comes time to write Book Reports. But Alas, I didn't start doing that until I read Divergent, and it was only because I didn't have my notebook handy, and I have yet to be consistent about this new practice. 


Matched is one of those books I failed to take good notes on. I read it back in August and am just now reviewing it (so sorry, no excuse available that you'd be interested in). I'll have to remember the details of the book while I'm skimming the notes I took in my notebook and writing this BR. Okay, here we go.



The official summary from the series' website: "In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.



Cassia has always trusted their choices. It's hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one…until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion."



You all know I'm a sucker for a good cover, and that's what got me to pick up this book. Between that and my love affair with Lois Lowry's The Giver, I figured I just had to have this book. Then there was the first line, "Now that I've found the way to fly, which direction should I go into the night?" Great stuff, people, and I figured I had to find out what else Condie had in store for me.



Here's what I had in my notes, and I'll try to elaborate on what I meant (back in August):



Well-told story, but not very attached to Cassia. So far, I still know very little about her I think I wrote that about half-way through the book (maybe a little less) and that's not a good thing. I like to be attached to and rooting for the protagonist from the very beginning, but I just felt Cassia was a little flat. A little bland and passé. And that feeling only changed a little towards the end.



I hope this doesn't turn into one of those "Team Ky", "Team Xander" obsessions. I'm so tired of the predictable love triangles As soon as she introduced Xander, and it wasn't even something as obvious as, Hello, reader. This is Ky, the love interest that's going to rock the boat of Cassia's perfect little world. Despite the fact that he's the other face that pops up as her Match. I think I literally groaned out loud.



Well-written and interesting, flew by when reading it And it did. So very fast. It's an interesting story, and while not entirely original (very strong similarities to The Giver) it's a new interpretation (but not a new spin), and entertaining.



I enjoyed the "love triangle" between Cassia, Xander, and Ky. I especially loved the integrity of Xander Okay, so my "jump the gun" groan about the "predictable" love triangle I mentioned earlier was for not. While it was a love triangle, and I put that in quotes earlier because it's a loose title, it wasn't cliché or typical. Neither of the relationships was the ohmygoshIjustsawyouandnowIloveyouwithallmyheartandwilldieforyou that are so prevalent in what seems to be ALL young adult books now-a-days. Xander and Cassia's relationship had always been there—best friends—and Cassia and Ky's relationship was fresh and new and unexplored. We got to see it develop and grow (somewhat realistically) as they did. Well done.


There wasn't a lot of high-stakes action going on, but I didn't really miss that at all It's not an action story, and while many books have the fights, drama, etc to fill that void, Matched dealt a lot with moral decisions ad dilemmas that had severe consequences. Which, while they were adequate, I would have enjoyed higher elements at stake.



Good book, good ending—would recommend it and looking forward to Crossed Which has already come out and you can purchase here. I need to get on that and read it. The cover looks good on that one, too, not sure about Cassia's outfit, but given how Matched ends, I guess it's appropriate.

Flowers for Algernon

Flowers For Algernon

Daniel Keyes

Rating: PG

Coffee Beans: 4/5

Spoiler: Big time

I’ve been doing this thing lately, where my brain remembers books that I’ve read back in Jr. high or high school, and I recall them being very good. I can’t remember every detail, but the overall impression I got from those books has stuck with me through the years, which makes me want to relive the experience. The Giver, A Wrinkle in Time, Hatchet, Shiloh, and Flowers for Algernon, just to name a few. I just finished the last one because I remember it being amazing. While I reading it, I asked everyone I met about the book.

“Remember reading Flowers for Algernon back in Jr. High?” I would ask.
I’d get a curious look or an arched eyebrow. Something about what I had said was familiar.
“The story about the guy who’s mentally retarded, he has an operation and is made smart?” I would prompt.
“Is there a white mouse in it?”

“Yes!” I would exclaim with a clap. “Algernon was the name of the mouse.”

“Yeah! I remember reading that!” Then their voice takes on a hint of melancholy. “That was a good book.”

It’s funny that everyone remembers the mouse the most. It’s not like he has a huge part (page count wise) in the book, but the symbolism he carries with him is gargantuan. No one remembers Charlie Gordon’s name, but everyone remembers the white mouse.

The book was first published back in 1959 in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. From there, Keyes worked on expanding the story to novel length and had it published by Harcourt in 1966. It’s funny to mention that the first magazine Keyes wanted to sell the story to, as well as several publishers, wanted him to change the ending of the book. I am so glad that he held fast to what was true. In all honesty, the story couldn’t have ended any other way than the way Keyes had written it.

Charlie Gordon is a 32-year-old adult that lives on his own, works at a bakery and takes special-ed classes from Miss Kinnian at a local school for mentally challenged adults. In a time where mentally retarded children were to be hidden away, his parents abandoned him at about the age of 12, sending him to live and the Warren State Home for mentally retarded children and adults. When Professor Nemur and Dr. Strauss approach Alice Kinnian for a human test subject for an intelligence experiment, she suggests Charlie. After getting permission from Charlie’s estranged sister, he begins the experiment.

The story is told through Charlie’s journal entries. What he’s going through, experiencing, feeling, noticing, etc. The tests he’s going through, the mazes he races against Algernon, and the inkblot cards. Prof. Nemur and Dr. Strauss tell Charlie that the mouse, Algernon, had a surgery to make him smart, and now he’s the smartest mouse around. They tell Charlie that he’s going to have the same surgery, and hopefully, he’ll be smarter too.

The way Keyes shows us Charlie’s transformation is seamless. In the beginning of his journal entries, there is no punctuation, sentence structure, and misspellings abound. But, as his intelligence increases, the reader starts to notice commas, apostrophes, and bigger words. Although he hasn’t gained emotional intelligence yet, his IQ has increased. He continues to be tested and race Algernon (whom he soon beats), and eventually surpasses the professors in the experiment and Alice, who he’s discovered he loves and who loves him back.

He becomes so smart as to be condescending to others and looses common ground with Alice. As he strives to know all he can and answer all his questions about himself and his sorted past with his mother (who, in flashbacks and dreams, we learn is a horrid woman), something happens to Algernon. He starts behaving erratically and is aggressive. Charlie knows that this, too, will happen to him. With the time he last left, he tries to find where the operation and experiment went wrong, so that future procedures can be flawless. He also tries to put to rest the mixed feelings he has towards his mother, father, and sister.

Telling Nemur and Strauss, and Alice about what is going to happen with him, he tries to have as normal of a life as possible for whatever time is left. He goes to see the Warren State Home to see where he will be living, if the decline of the operation leaves him any functioning ability at all. Then, Algernon dies, and Charlie knows what will become of him. The decline is as subtle as the ascent. Besides Charlie telling us in his journal entries what he’s experiencing, the punctuation is the first to go. Then the big words, then the spelling. Finally, emotional intelligence is all but gone. To spare those around him the pain of seeing him lose what he had become, he secludes himself in his apartment. He can remember bits and pieces of his experience of being a genius, but it’s a ghost of a memory. He knows that he has to leave and go to the Warren State Home, but he can’t fully remember by, but he’s okay with it. The book ends with him leaving a note to Nemur and Strauss to tell Alice none of this is her fault and asks that someone put flowers on Algernon’s grave for him.

The ending is moving and heart wrenching. But it is perfect. To think that someone wanted Keyes to change it to Daniel staying smart, marrying Alice, and having a family is absurd. Sure, we all like happy endings, but this is the true ending. The overall book is amazing and truly a classic. But, it is rather dry in parts. Because it’s in the field of science, there is a lot of science speak and details of things and procedures that felt like filler. In fact, there were a couple parts in the middle and towards the end that I skipped over because they were boring. But I highly recommend that anyone who wants to read a great book, start with this one. There was a movie made in the 70’s (I believe) called Charly that I want to try and find on Nextflix, although, I’m not sure if I want to subject myself to seeing his sad story on screen.

--Me

The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes by Marcus Sakey

The Two Deaths of Marcus Sakey

by Daniel Hayes

Crime/Mystery

Content Rating: PG-13 (mild sex)

Spoiler Alert: Are you kidding me??? Heck no!

Coffee Bean Rating: A strong 4/5
Release Date: June 9, 2011

The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes by Marcus Sakey is quite simply, a brilliant book. And while I’m at it, Sakey is a brilliant author. I’m not much into crime/who-done-it books, but this has made me a believer; there’s something to them! At least there is to Sakey’s.

Daniel Hays wakes up naked and near death on a Maine beach. He has no idea who he is or how he got where he is, but he’s determined to find out. He finds a car with clothes his size, an insurance card with a California address, and a gun inside the glove box, but other than that, Daniel has nothing to go on. Sakey takes us though Daniels journey of retracing his steps back to California, towards the magnetic pull of a female star on a fictional TV drama. What I love most, is that Daniel knows nothing of what’s happening, and as a result, neither does the reader; and it feels very authentic and refreshing that way.

The story is told from three different points of view. Largely from Daniel’s, but there are two other’s whose take on what’s going on is both valuable and widely entertaining. Sakey’s way of writing is unique (quick, intense descriptions, short choppy sentences) and it’s quickly addictive. It adds so much to the novel and almost immediately, I was drawn into Daniel’s character.

Here’s a description that particularly caught my attention:

And finally, Malibu, nestled like a jewel in the warm bosom of the other coast. More beautiful than any place had a right to be. Golden sunlight, salt tang in the air, bungalows in faded shades of mint and turquoise next to multimillion-dollar wonders of glass and stone, waves rolling surfers to shore in long, slow breaks. Twenty-seven miles of beach and canyon, of palm trees and skies that promised never to cloud—except from wildfire smoke or mudslide rain. Celebrities huddled behind security gates while homeless philosophers dispensed wisdom outside organic cafés.

There are several flashbacks in the book, as Daniel is hit with bits and pieces of his memory, and I LOVE the say Sakey shows them to us. Since Daniel is a screenwriter, it only makes sense that his memories come back to him, and thus to us, in screenplay form. The impact these scenes have is wonderful. The story and plot is expertly woven together with great “didn’t see that comin’” twists.

As I don’t read this genre very much, I knew nothing about Sakey, other than Lee Child (a name I am familiar with because my mom loves him) made a connection between Sakey and Harlan Coben (another familiar name thanks to my mom) in a blurb for the book. So I was tickled pink when I saw that Sakey has 4 other books (all best sellers) and three of those four books are in development as films.

Why the PG-13 rating, if it was such a GREAT book? There are some vulgar subjects sporadically throughout the book—granted it’s through the unsavory character we get this info, so it has to be done—and a brief, non-detailed sex scene.

With action, twists and turns like the PCH, and SUPERB storytelling, The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes is a book you will not regret buying. Now go read it!

Happy Monday, my friends!

--Me

Wildefire by Karsten Knight

Wildefire

by Karsten Knight

YA Fantasy

Content Rating: PG-13

Spoiler Alert: Maybe a little, but nothing that will ruin your life

Coffee Bean Rating: 4/5

Release Date: July 26, 2011

Let me refresh your memories as to how I buy a book (this is not the case for books that are recommended to me).

1.) Peruse through the nearest bookstore for at least an hour before I begin to seriously consider a purchase

2.) Look for catchy and intriguing covers

3.) Read the back of the book

If the cover is A-MA-ZING and the summary interesting, I'll buy it. I don't open it up and read a few sample lines. Never have, never will.

So, when I got Wildefire in the mail, I was ecstatic! A) I don't get many YA ARCs B) the cover was righteously AWESOME (calle lilies are the best flowers ever invented--next to the peony) C) Wildfire was the name of the horse my best friend growing up had.

A + B + C = Winner. It's simple math.

I picked up the book and read the back and was kind of disappointed. I'll be honest. The summary didn't sound like something I would have picked up on my own.

Then I did something I've never done before in my life; I opened up to the first page and gave it a sample read. This is what I found:

Ashline Wilde was a human mood ring. Sixteen years old, and she was a cauldron of emotions--frothing, bubbling, and volatile. She had never head of "bottling it all up inside." She was as transparent as the air itself.

I didn't put it down until I finished it a week later (give me a break, it would've been a lot sooner, but I was busy playing the lottery). This is easily one of my favorite YA books.

Karsten Knight has a way of writing that sucks you in and lets you zip along in the story, eating away hours and days before you even know what's happened. His imagery and metaphors are breathtaking, and he gives us proof that guys do know what a girl wants to hear:

He stepped forward, and his hand slipped into hers as if it had been there the whole time. "Ash, this is the truth as I know it," he said seriously. "A boy grows up restless in a home too small to contain him. So he runs away and spends his youth traveling everywhere that a passport and a backpack will allow, until the dirt from the four corners of the world is caked beneath his fingernails. Until he's seen so much of this world that he takes a job as far away from it as he can. Somehow, one night, at a bar filled with retirees and old fisherman, in a town that might as well be off the map, he sees a girl sitting at the bar. Even though she's only twisting idly in her bar stool ordering a drink, that's all it takes for him to recognize that she might be the fire he's been looking for. In that moment he realizes that he could spend the rest of his life doing all the things he ever wanted to do in all the the places he ever wanted to see, but if he doesn't ask her for her name, this is the moment that, forty years from now, he'll still remember as the moment when he blew it."



Ashile Wilde is a 16-year-old sophomore with typical boy and catty girl issues. Then, there's the not so typical, "Oh yeah, I'm really the volcano goddess, Pele" problem.

After a deadly encounter with her delinquent sister, Eve, Ash decides to enroll in a prep school nestled in the redwoods of NoCal (such a perfect local) to start fresh. She makes some friends, attracts some boys, and is the all-star tennis player.

While at an unsanctioned outing at a local dive bar, a fellow student is almost kidnapped and Ash and four of her friends (Rolfe, Raja, Ade and Lily), are the only ones who hear their friend's cries for help.

That's when Ash discovers who she and her friends really are--reincarnated gods and goddesses from all world's religions and mythologies; and that includes Eve. And now, someones trying to collect them. Ash doesn't know what to do, as she's given three different stories about what's really going on around them.

Karsten does a nice job of plopping the reader in the middle of the story and giving us little on-line back stories to fill us in when needed--all us writer's should take note of that skill. Characters are dangled in front of our noses, and while they don't play a big role now, it's only a matter of time before they resurface for more face time.

The story takes place in the span of only eight days, and Ash doesn't find out she and her friends are deities until halfway through the book, but Karsten's writing is so captivating smooth and fluid, that the timing was perfect and didn't feel like "halfway through the book".

As I mentioned before, he has a skill for metaphors and imagery. With every one (and there are so many, but not overkill in the least) I thought, "wow". Here are some of my favorites:

The frustration of it all was beginning to make her itch as though larvae were crawling beneath her skin.

...two tall rocks offshore framed the sun between them like fingers holding a burning marble.

A wind picked up over the water. Storm clouds billowed out of nowhere. Within seconds the sky transformed from a clear, moonlit night to a frothing, unsettled cumulonimbus mass. Thunder echoed in the cove, and darkness descended down on them like a falling curtain.



There were a couple of downsides in the book, in my opinion. There was a lot of language (not extreme, but it was there). Lot's of underage drinking (it seemed like Ash's friend Jackie was tipsy/drunk a little too much during those 8 days), underage, closed-door sex and even a pregnancy, and last but not least (and to me, the most unsettling), an 18-year-old, college freshman park ranger who's interested and dating and more with 16-year-old Ash. Creeper. Given the entire story and the ending, I can see where it comes into play. But it doesn't take away from the slight level of heebie-jeebies it gave me.

Karsten had me worked up like a wet hen in the last chapter of the book. Something happens, and in my head I'm like, "I HATE you, Karsten Knight! I can't believe you're going to do this to me, Karsten Knight! I'm going to take your hacky sack and pummel you with it, Karsten Knight!"

But the writer side of me was like, "Mwahaha! I need to meet this genius, Karsten Knight!"

I can see Wildefire easily on Hollywood's pick-up list. And if that happens, I'd like to volunteer for the role of Ash. Yes, I know I'm not Polynesian, and I am 10 years her senior, but I'm constantly getting carded AND I'm willing to sacrifice hours in the make-up chair in order to be transformed. :)

Karsten, if you're reading this, I'd love to get on your list of Book Two ARC Recipients! :) And if you're not Karsten and you get the chance to read this book, pick it up and do so. You won't be sorry. In fact, pre-order it.

Now.

--Me

The Young Sherlock Holmes by Andrew Lane

Death Cloud (Young Sherlock Holmes)

by Andrew Lane

YA Mystery

Spoiler: None

Rating: PG

Coffee Beans: 4/5

The year is 1868, and Sherlock Holmes is fourteen. His life is that of a perfectly ordinary army officer’s son: boarding school, good manners, a classical education – the backbone of the British Empire. But all that is about to change. With his father suddenly posted to India, and his mother mysteriously ‘unwell’, Sherlock is sent to stay with his eccentric uncle and aunt in their vast house in Hampshire. So begins a summer that leads Sherlock to uncover his first murder, a kidnap, corruption and a brilliantly sinister villain of exquisitely malign intent. (Summary courtesy of http://www.youngsherlock.com/books/death-cloud-book/)

I've never read any of the Sherlock Holmes books in my life (I know, I know, I'm a horrible excuse for a human being). And my reference when someone says Sherlock Holmes is the 2009 movie (to which I hope they're making a sequel). But I'm happy to say that this was a good introduction to the character. So much so, that I have an inclination to go and pick up the originals and the varied spin-offs done by other authors.

In this book, Sherlock isn't yet the detective mastermind we all know him to be (thank you, Robert Downey Jr.). He is a young boy just released for summer break from an all boys school. His brother arrives to tell him that he will not be coming home to London with him, but will be staying with his estranged uncle, aunt, and their evil house keeper (all though his brother doesn't come out and say as much, Sherlock is able to deduce that much on his own the moment he steps foot in their house).

While bored out of his mind, Sherlock befriends a street urchin named Matty (Jude Law a.k.a Watson??? Like I said, I'm clueless here folks, and the movie is my reference on which I base all things, including the meaning of life--which, if you're curious--is getting a jar full of flies to fly together in a counter-clockwise fashion).

Matty tells Sherlock of a 'death cloud' he saw and the dead man that turned up as a seeming result. His brother hires an American tutor for the summer. I deduce that this is where Sherlock learns all of his mad skills.

As nosey as he is, Sherlock goes gallivanting on private property of a mysterious albino Barron who he thinks is a part of this entire 'death cloud' business. Trapped in a blazing barn and almost murdered (I still cringe when I remember Lane showing us that scene), Sherlock escapes and goes back to his uncle's house for his lesson with the American. There they find a dead man on his uncle's property. Sherlock is convinced that the two deaths are connected and somehow the Barron (Arch Nemesis Moriarty??) is a part of it all.

Together, Sherlock, Matty, the American, and his attractive daughter, Virginia (Rachel McAdams?) try and solve the mystery. And that's all I'm gonna say about the plot.

Lane did a great job of interweaving seemingly unrelated events into one conspiracy for Sherlock to discover. He also did a great job of letting the reader follow Sherlock's brain waves in figuring out the mystery and the conspiracy happening around him, without the notion that my hand was being held through the process. I can see where this will be set up for many more books to come as Lane did a very good job of tying up lose ends, but leaving enough mystery for the next book (which I am going to ask for an ARC of).

Lane also did a superb job of setting up the world in which the story takes place, giving us the sights, sounds, smells and ambiance of 1868 Hampshire.

I strongly recommend picking up this book and reading it for yourself. It's interesting and an easy read, and while it took me a little while to get into it (although, I was rather busy at the time), it was well worth it.

--Me