Book: Breathless by Jessica Warman

Book Info: Published by Walker Books; 333 pages

Source: Purchased for my Nook

Genre: YA/Contemporary

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Goodreads Summary: When Katie Kitrell is shipped off to boarding school by her distant father and overbearing mother, it doesn’t take her long to become part of the It Crowd. She’s smart, she’s cute, and she’s an Olympic-bound swimmer who has a first class ticket to any Ivy League school of her choice. But what her new friends, roommate, and boyfriend don’t know is that Katie is swimming away from her past, and from her schizophrenic older brother, Will, who won’t let her go. And when he does the unthinkable, it’s all Katie can do to keep her head above water.

I don’t know what to think about Breathless.  I thought her relationship with her schizophrenic older brother was interesting, as was her relationship with her parents.  And I really liked the swimming aspect of the book, even if it wasn’t as important as the summary made it seem.  Speaking of the summary, it is a little misleading…I thought swimming and her brother would be the focus of the book, not Katie getting shipped off to boarding school.

It’s really more about her time at boarding school than anything else.  It’s like her brother’s schiophrenia and her swimming were randomly thrown in as a way to move things along.  There were times when the story dragged, but at the same time, huge chunks of time were completely glossed over and things seemed really random.

It gets a 2 out of 5.  There wasn’t anything wrong with it, but there wasn’t anything right about it either.

Book: The Diary Of Anne Frank

Book Info: Published by Random House Publishing Group; 352 pages

Source: E-book via the library

Genre: Non-fiction/Auto-biography

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Goodreads Summary: Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank’s remarkable diary has since become a world classic—a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit. In 1942, with Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, they and another family lived cloistered in the “Secret Annex” of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death. In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and amusing, her account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.

I finally read The Diary Of Anne Frank!  I liked it, but not as much as I thought I would.

I liked seeing her experiences of what it was like living in the Secret Annex, and the one thing I was struck by was how things don’t really change.  I mean, I could totally relate to how she felt and the relationships between her and her family.  Some things really are universal.

I’m glad I read it.  But I think I really built it up as this totally amazing book.  Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s an important, must-read.  But it didn’t really do anything for me either.

It’s great as diary, and seeing her own thoughts and life in hiding.  There were times when I was bored out of my mind reading it, but when you’re in hiding and have to be careful about how much noise you make and that sort of thing, it is to be expected.  I think it’s really more of a coming-of-age story than anything else.

It gets a 3 out of 5.

Book: Fallen by Lauren Kate

Book Info: Published by Random House Children’s Books; 389 pages

Where I Got It: an e-book via the library

Genre: YA: Paranormal

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Goodreads Summary: There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

An immortal guy who is in love with a girl who dies and comes back every 17 years?  And good and bad fighting for her soul?  It’s been done before.

However, I liked that it’s all because she wasn’t baptized in this life.  I wasn’t expecting that, so it made the novel a lot more interesting.  It does start off slow, and the ending was exciting but a little rushed.

The characters were just okay, and were pretty lackluster.  No one really stood out, and they were pretty typical characters.  Hopefully they’ll liven up and get more interesting in the next book.  I thought the setting of a reform school was interesting, but there was something off about it too.  I loved the descriptions of the school and how old the school was.

I loved the prologue and the epilogue, and I’m hoping we see more of that in the future.

It gets a 4 out of 5.  I really enjoyed it, and hopefully it’ll get a lot more interesting.

Book: Rebel Angels by Libba Bray

Book Info: Published by Random House Children’s Books; 592 pages

Source: purchased for my Nook

Genre: YA: Historical Fiction/Paranormal/Fantasy

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Goodreads Summary: Ah, Christmas! Gemma Doyle is looking forward to a holiday from Spence Academy, spending time with her friends in the city, attending ritzy balls, and on a somber note, tending to her ailing father. As she prepares to ring in the New Year, 1896, a handsome young man, Lord Denby, has set his sights on Gemma, or so it seems. Yet amidst the distractions of London, Gemma’s visions intensify–visions of three girls dressed in white, to whom something horrific has happened, something only the realms can explain. . . . 

The lure is strong, and before long, Gemma, Felicity, and Ann are turning flowers into butterflies in the enchanted world of the realms that Gemma alone can bring them to. To the girls’ great joy, their beloved Pippa is there as well, eager to complete their circle of friendship. 

But all is not well in the realms–or out. The mysterious Kartik has reappeared, telling Gemma she must find the Temple and bind the magic, else great disaster will befall her. Gemma’s willing to do his intrusive bidding, despite the dangers it brings, for it means she will meet up with her mother’s greatest friend–and now her foe, Circe. Until Circe is destroyed, Gemma cannot live out her destiny. But finding Circe proves a most perilous task.

I loved Rebel Angels even more than I liked A Great And Terrible Beauty.  You really get to see the consequences of what Gemma did.

I really like the realms in Rebel Angels, and that is because you get to see more of them.  Like the Cave of Sighs and the Temple and the forests.  What I loved the most was that things moved along, and it didn’t feel like a middle novel at all.

The readers are kept on their toes, with the mystery and the anagrams.  Circe was the last person I expected: I didn’t see it coming.  I love that a lot of the novel is spent away from Spence.  You get to see Gemma and Felicity in their homes, with Ann staying with Felicity.  A lot of time is spent in the realms, of course, which I just love.  And seeing how staying in the realms, and not crossing over, has changed Pippa.  I don’t think it’s the last we’ll see of her, and I don’t think it will end well.

I loved seeing London, and thought it was a nice contrast with the realms.  You have a city that’s changing, with Felicity being too headstrong to get a nice British man, and the little hints about how London going away from gaslamps towards electricity.  And you have another world that is more complex and corrupt than you could ever imagine.  They’re very different, and yet there are some parallels between the two.

The characters didn’t seem very different in this book, which is the only thing I didn’t really like.  I know it’s only a couple months or so after A Great And Terrible Beauty, but it didn’t seem like the characters had changed very much, other than Pippa.

It gets a 5 out of 5.  I enjoyed it a lot, and I can’t wait to read the last book!

Book: Supernaturally by Kiersten White

Book Info: Published by HarperCollins; 352 pages

Source: purchased for my Nook

Genre: YA/Paranormal

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Goodreads Summary: Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.

But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.

So much for normal.

I loved Supernaturally!  Evie is cute, as always…but she’s also completely amazing!

Jack was an interesting and new addition to the series.  I wasn’t expecting him to completely manipulate Evie the way he did, and he was a lot more sinister and evil than I expected.  Was he creepy?  Yes.  But I swear I didn’t see that ending coming!  In retrospect, it was sort of obvious.  But he did have his fun, crazy moments.

But anyway, I loved seeing Evie in high school, and how it wasn’t what she was expecting.  What was really interesting was finally learning about her family.  Her dad was a fairie and her mom was mortal, and how she got “lost.”  I can’t wait to see how this plays out in Endlessly.  It was kind of sad, though.  Finding out you’re an empty one because the Unseelie court had Vivian.

And I have to say, I LOVED the awknowledgements.  Absolutely hysterical!  I also love how original the series is, and that she made fun of some of the cliches in the paranormal genre.  Like when Evie was surprised that vampires and fairies were glittery.

I give it a 5 out of 5.  It’s funny, yet sad at times.  And the characters are so fun and refreshing.

Book: 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Book Info: Published by Razorbill; 170 pages

Source: an e-book via the library

Genre: YA/Contemporary

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Goodreads Summary: Clay Jenkins returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers 13 cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker–his classmate and crush–who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out how he made the list. Through Hannah and Clay’s dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

I wanted to like this book, I really did.  But I couldn’t.  I found myself getting more irritated as the book went on.

I get feeling like suicide is your only way out, and normally, I’m really sympathetic towards characters who struggle with depression and suicide.  But I couldn’t muster up any sympathy for Hannah.  When she’s narrating her reasons why, she comes across as really angry and intent on blaming everyone around her.  So instead of sympathizing with her and feeling her desperation and pain, I felt like she had this whole “look at what you made me do” attitude.

Her reasons why seemed so simplistic, and I don’t blame people for thinking she had no reason to.  Everyone has their own breaking point, and this just happened to be Hannah’s.  Yeah, stuff happens, like rumors and bullying, but it doesn’t mean it’s okay to spread rumors or anything.

But anyway, Asher made it seem so simple and easy when most of time, it’s not as simple as 13 reasons.  There wasn’t enough context, and had the entire book focused on Hannah, instead of her narrating her reasons and Clay’s thoughts on the tapes, I think we might have gotten more insight into Hannah’s life.  All you get is 13 reasons, and nothing else.  I can’t help but wonder if there is a bigger picture, because I want to believe there is.

I did like the idea of her recording different memories, and the idea of the tapes being passed along.  I try not to be all nit-picky, but where on earth did she find tapes?  And where are a bunch of teenagers going to find a Walkman?  I guess it’s going to be dated in a year or two anyway, no matter what technology is being used.

But Clay’s reaction to Hannah’s narration didn’t work for me, especially when you learn that he didn’t actually do anything to hurt her.  And poor Mr. Porter, who ended up on the list because Hannah didn’t actually tell him what she was really thinking.  She pretty much baited him into giving her the answer she wanted to hear.

Even with all of my complaints about the book, there were a couple things I liked.  One, you never know how your actions and words can affect others.  Yes, you may be joking, but the other person might not see it that way.  And two, if it seems like someone is suicidal, talk to them.  Or tell someone who can help them.

Overall, I give it a 1 out of 5.  So much of the book didn’t work for me, and it can  something that’s already stigmatized much more so.

Book: The Name Of The Star by Maureen Johnson

Book Info: Published by Penguin Group; 384 pages

Source: e-book via the public library

Genre: YA/Paranormal Mystery

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Goodreads.com Summary: The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it’s the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn’t notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

The Name Of The Star surprised me.  I was expected a mystery, which you definitely get.  But apparently, I need to read the summaries, because I was surprised by the appearance of ghosts.  I love that this book is a paranormal mystery.

I was quite surprised to see ghosts, because they don’t seem very common in YA paranormal books.  Considering this story is dealing with Jack The Ripper, ghosts really aren’t that surprising.

I like the idea of a Jack The Ripper murder mystery, and I was surprised by the general spookiness.  I loved the facts scattered throughout the novel, and surprisingly, I wasn’t irritated by Rory going to boarding school in England.  It worked really well, because she clearly wasn’t very familiar with a lot of the slang and history over in London, so things were explained to her.  And thankfully, it wasn’t a massive info dump.

It was very suspenseful, and I couldn’t wait to see what happened.

There were a few things I didn’t like.  The story focused very much on Jack The Ripper, so the characters did seem to have the life or personality I expected.  The potential romances didn’t seem all that interesting.  There are hints that she and Jerome could end up together- if they aren’t already- but too much of that relationship happened off-screen, so it’s hard to care.  And I could see Rory and Stephen as a couple.  Either way, I’m sure it’ll be resolved at some point in the series.

The ending was a surprise, and I wasn’t expecting it.  It was a cliffhanger, of course, but it just makes me want to read the next book in the series as fast as I can.

I give it a 4 out of 5 for being a spooky, mysterious Jack The Ripper re-telling.

Book: Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

Book Info: Published by Little, Brown Books For Young Readers; 217 pages; hardcover

Source: borrowed from the library

Genre: YA/Contemporary

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Goodreads.com Summary: Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles. She used to believe in a lot of things. As a pastor’s kid, it’s hard not to buy in to the idea of the perfect family, a loving God, and amazing grace. But lately, Sam has a lot of reason to doubt. Her mother lands in rehab after a DUI and her father seems more interested in his congregation than his family. When a young girl in her small town is kidnapped, the local tragedy overlaps with Sam’s personal one, and the already-worn thread of faith holding her together begins to unravel. 

In her third novel, acclaimed author Sara Zarr examines the coexistence of affliction and hope, and what happens when everything you thought you believed—about God, about your family, about yourself—is transformed.

I have mixed feelings about Once Was Lost.

I like that Sam’s personal problems are overlapping with the disappearance of a girl she knows from church.  I like the issues that come up, and that Zarr just presents them as they are.  You definitely get to come up with your own conclusions and thoughts about what happen.

But I felt like a personal tragedy overlapping with a larger one was forced, and it just didn’t work for me.  It felt like Zarr heavily relied on stereotypes, because the characters fell flat.  The pastor possibly having an affair with the youth group leader who helps out while Sam’s mother is in rehab after a DUI…the father, unable to communicate with his daughter…Sam having a couple friends, who act differently around her than they do everyone else…definitely predictable.

I think people can relate to Sam questioning her faith, but other than that, it was just hard to connect with any of the characters.  It also moved really slow, and not much happened.  Overall, it gets a 2 out of 5.

Book: The Sacrifice by Kathleen Benner Duble

Book Info: Published by Margaret K. McElderberry; 224 pages; hardcover

Source: Borrowed from the library

Genre: YA/Historical Fiction

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Goodreads.com Summary: In the year 1692, life changes forever for ten-year-old Abigail Faulkner and her family. In Salem, Massachusetts, witches have been found, and widespread fear and panic reign mere miles from Abigail’s home of Andover. When two girls are brought from Salem to identify witches in Andover, suspicion sweeps the town as well-respected members of the community are accused of witchcraft. It isn’t long before chaos consumes Andover, and the Faulkners find themselves in the center of it all when friend turns themselves in the center of it all when friend turns against friend, neighbor against neighbor, in a desperate fight for the truth. At the heart of this gripping story are Abigail and her sister, Dorothy, who together must find a way to persevere during a period marked by terror, adversity, and ignorance.

Told from Abigail’s point of view and based on actual events in the author’s own family histoy, “The Sacrifice” offers a unique perspective of the Salem witch trials by delving into the devestating effects the trials had not just in Salem but throughout Massachusetts.

This book was okay.  It seemed a little younger than I was expecting, but I still enjoyed it a little.

I think I loved the setting and the historical back-drop the most.  It did seem very real and I liked that it was based on the author’s own family tree.  I think I was really surprised by the fact that it was set in a town near Salem, and not in Salem itself.

Duble does a great job of showing just how widespread and crazy the witch trials were, and how limited your choices were if you were accused of witchcraft.  Some of the names seemed vaguely familiar for some reason, and I definitely want to read up on the Salem Witch trials.

Even though there were more than a few things about the novel I really liked, overall, I didn’t like it as much as I was expecting.  Duble only scratched the surface, and it didn’t go into a lot of depth, but it is a good introduction to what things might have been like.  I give it a 2 out of 5.

Book: The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Book Info: Published by Dial; 288 pages; hardcover

Source: borrowed from the library

Genre: YA/Contemporary

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Goodreads.com Summary: Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life—and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey’s boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie’s own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transfer from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they’re the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can’t collide without the whole wide world exploding. This remarkable debut is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Francesca Lia Block. Just as much a celebration of love as it is a portrait of loss, Lennie’s struggle to sort her own melody out of the noise around her is always honest, often hilarious, and ultimately unforgettable.

I am so glad I read this book!  It made me laugh, but it also made me cry.  I even laughed through my tears.  It seems like I’ve come across several books dealing with grief over the last year or so, and I think this is one of my favorites.

I really related to Lennie, especially when she and her grandma were talking about how they didn’t know who they were after losing Bailey.  The way someone feels after losing someone close to them is so complex and varies so much from person to person, and I think Nelson captured this so well.  All of the characters have lost someone and are dealing with it in their own way.  While I didn’t always like the choices Lennie made, I still understood where she was coming from.

I especially loved the notes (written by Lennie) that are scattered throughout the book.  It’s a great look at who Bailey was and her relationship with Lennie.  It really made the book a lot more emotional.

And we have to talk about Joe!  I loved him, and it’s easy to see why.  Words cannot express how much I love him.

I just loved this book.  So much, in fact, that I shall give it a 5 out of 5.  And buy a copy for myself.  It’s such a beautiful book.