My Bookanista Reviews
Bookanistas: PARTIALS
Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with partials–engineered organic beings identical to humans–has decimated the world’s population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. The threat of the partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to the disease in over a decade. Humanity’s time is running out.
When sixteen-year-old Kira learns of her best friend’s pregnancy, she’s determined to find a solution. Then one rash decision forces Kira to flee her community with the unlikeliest of allies. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that the survival of both humans and partials rests in her attempts to answer questions of the war’s origin that she never knew to ask.
Combining the fast-paced action of The Hunger Games with the provocative themes of Battlestar Galactica, Partials is a pulse-pounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question–one where our sense of humanity is both our greatest liability, and our only hope for survival.
So, basically, I got really into this. It’s technically a post-apocalyptic dystopian, but it brings in so much science fiction that it feels fresh among all the other titles out there like it. Both the world and the science fiction behind it are also incredibly developed. There are scenes where the MC is doing research into the science of what is happening to them, and I adored seeing her go through the process of extracting samples and analyzing it. Total geek happiness.
The second half is fast-paced and action-packed, and I couldn’t put it down to see what would happen next. I loved that the author never let things get easy for the characters, and they were forced to face their hurdles head-on with not only force but with brains. It truly is Hunger Games meets BSG, like the blurb says, and as those are two of my most favorite things on the planet, I was totally sucked into this without ever feeling it was borrowing too heavily from either one. It’s a series, so while the driving plot was wrapped up with an awesome conclusion, the overarching threads are left open, and I absolutely will be picking up book two to see how the rest of the story unravels.
More Bookanistas Posts This Week
Christine Fonseca interviews author L.K. Gardner-Griffie
Corinne Jackson announces Change Write Now: Round 2 signups are open
Carolina Valdez Miller adores UNDER THE NEVER SKY - with giveaway
Jessica Love shares some TIME BETWEEN US cover talk
Tracy Banghart jumps for CATCHING JORDAN
Stasia Ward Kehoe contemplates middle grade series
LiLa Roecker is enthralled with THE NIGHT CIRCUS
Shelli Johannes-Wells visits with author Elle Strauss
Bookanistas: Shout-Out to the Classics
Hey guys! For the past several weeks, I’ve been doing reviews of new YA and MG releases, and it got me thinking of older books that I truly love and that have really been instrumental in getting us to where we are today, a point in time with so many great YA books on the shelves.
Specifically, I was thinking about Madeleine L’Engle. Her Time Quintet books are just amazing. Guys, seriously, if you haven’t read these books, run to a library or bookstore and read them ASAP. If you have read them, then you know what I mean, and I don’t know about you, but they are the perfect books to reread. They are classic and timeless. They’re inspiring, at least to me. They make you really think. I seriously don’t think I can put into words how much I love them. They are right on up there with Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Hunger Games and Uglies — books that have made an incredible impact on me and have truly changed my life.
In case you do not know what these books are about, here is a brief description of the first in the series:
Everyone in town thinks Meg Murry is volatile and dull-witted, and that her younger brother, Charles Wallace, is dumb. People are also saying that their physicist father has run off and left their brilliant scientist mother. Spurred on by these rumours and an unearthly stranger, the tesseract- touting Mrs Whatsit, Meg and Charles Wallace and their new friend Calvin O’Keefe embark on a perilous quest through space to find their father. In doing so, they must travel behind the shadow of an evil power that is darkening the cosmos, one planet at a time. This is no superhero tale, nor is it science fiction, although it shares elements of both. The travellers must rely on their individual and collective strengths, delving deep within themselves to find answers.
Ahhh, just reading that description makes me want to read them again.
Sadly, back in 2007 Madeleine L’Engle passed away. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to attend her memorial service in NYC. It was truly one of the most memorable experiences of my life, and truly touching. This woman loved to write, and she loved writing for children and teens. Not only did she write and create compelling and beautifully-written books, but she was also a remarkable person.
I love this quote by her:
“Our truest responsibility to the irrationality of the world is to paint or sing or write, for only in such response do we find the truth.”
More Bookanistas Posts This Week
Christine Fonseca surrenders to THE SECRET OF SPRUCE KNOLL
Corrine Jackson delights in CHOPSTICKS
Stasia Ward Kehoe presents a Stunning Seconds interview with A MILLION SUNS author Beth Revis
Debra Driza celebrates CINDER – with giveaway!
Katy Upperman raves over JELLICOE ROAD
Hilary Wagner is all about LEXAPROS AND CONS – with giveaway
Carolina Valdez Miller reveals the tremendous cover of TEN
Jessica Love has high ratings for THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
Bookanistas: THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED
The Night She Disappeared by April Henry
Gabie drives a Mini Cooper. She also works part time as a delivery girl at Pete’s Pizza. One night, Kayla—another delivery girl—goes missing. To her horror, Gabie learns that the supposed kidnapper had asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was working that night. Gabie can’t move beyond the fact that Kayla’s fate was really meant for her, and she becomes obsessed with finding Kayla. She teams up with Drew, who also works at Pete’s. Together, they set out to prove that Kayla isn’t dead—and to find her before she is.
I haven’t read many straight-on mysteries or thrillers in awhile (meaning without some sort of sci-fi or paranormal element), and I was really happy to get my hands on this one as my reading roots are very much Nancy Drew. What I really loved about this book was that it took a different approach to the classic mystery format. For one, the author included all of these interesting extra bits, like forensics reports and transcripts of 911 calls. I loved turning the page and seeing a new, fun piece of the case. I also really loved the shift in point of view. Each person had such a unique voice and a different way of viewing what was happening.
All this made this particular mystery/thriller different than the same old. Really, it took the shift off of the whodunit and put more focus on just being inside of the case, how it all unfolded, how people reacted, how people felt. More a focus on character, and I really loved that here.
And then the ending. An exciting, riveting finale to the story. I had meant to put the book down and go to sleep, but I literally could not stop reading.
More Bookanistas Posts This Week
Christine Fonseca takes a shine to A MILLION SUNS
Carolina Valdez Miller falls for FRACTURE
Stasia Ward Kehoe is dazzled by DARK COMPANION
Nikki Katz wonders at THE FAULT IN OUR STARS
Debra Driza is overwhelmed by UNDER THE NEVER SKY
Jessica Love gives a trophy to BEAUTY QUEENS
Shelli Johannes-Wells takes you on a tour of The Reading Room
Tracy Banghart has double-love for THE SILVER PHOENIX and FURY OF THE PHOENIX
Hilary Wagner is in the grips of THE GATHERING STORM
Bookanistas: WANDERLOVE
It all begins with a stupid question:
Are you a Global Vagabond?
No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.
Bria’s a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan’s a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they’ve got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.
But Bria comes to realize she can’t run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.
This book was made for me. I’ve been dying to read it for quite some time because travel is very close to my heart, and while I’ve never backpacked, I’ve always wanted to. Desperately, really. So, I cracked this open with high hopes. And oh my goodness, did it grab ahold of my heart.
I love Bria. She is fantastic. She is the perfect mixture of hope and insecurity and strength. And the intensity of her character arc is magnified because, really, that’s what travel does to you. It shows you the world in new ways, changes you, forces you to grow. It is life-changing. Bria overcomes so much and enhances who she is over the course of this three-week trip, and I felt as if I were right there with her. All of this told against the backdrop of beautifully-described Central America. A place that was honestly not on my radar before, but now I must see. Must. The writing is so strong that every single location Bria visited was incredibly vivid in my mind. I really felt like I was there, and I fell in love with a place I’ve never been. That’s a magical reading experience.
Bottom line: this is a beautiful book. It has affected me to the point that I was madly researching European backpacking destinations last night. For hours. It’s like I’ve been bit by the travel bug all over again, and for that alone, this is a novel I’ll be reading again and again.
More Bookanistas Posts This Week
Christine Fonseca interviews author Denise Grover Swank
Jessi Kirby is wowed by WANDERLOVE
Corrine Jackson is mesmerized by MAY B.
Stasia Ward Kehoe interviews DIES IRAE author Christine Fonseca
Debra Driza is entranced by HEMLOCK
Katy Upperman delves into THE DISENCHANTMENTS
Nikki Katz celebrates CINDER
Tracy Banghart marvels at JULIET IMMORTAL
Jessica Love spotlights SHINE
Bookanistas: THE GIRL WHO OWNED A CITY
The Girl Who Owned a City, the graphic novel, adapted by Dan Jolley and illustrated by Joelle Jones and Jenn Manley Lee, based on the novel by O.T. Nelson first published in 1975.
A deadly virus killed every adult on Earth, leaving only us kids behind. My parents are gone, so I’m responsible for my little brother, Todd. I have to make sure we stay alive. Many kids are sick or starving, and fierce gangs are stealing and destroying everything they find. Lots of people have given up, but here on Grand Avenue, some of us are surviving. Because of me.
I figured out how to give the kids on Grand Avenue food, homes, and protection against the gangs. But Tom Logan and his army are determined to take away what we’ve built and rule the streets themselves. How long can we keep fighting them off? We need to find another place for us to live safely. A strong place. A secret place.
In a world like this, someone has to take charge. But do I have the strength to take charge of a whole city?
I loooove graphic novels so I was excited to read this adaptation of a MG novel originally published back in the 70s. The first thing that struck me is how gorgeous the art is. Very beautifully done, with coloring that really set the tone of the book.
When a virus wipes out the adult population, the kids are left to fend for themselves. And THE GIRL WHO OWNED A CITY is about a tough-as-nails girl who steps in and takes charge when the kids on her street aren’t doing so great. I loved reading about this character because not only is she tough, but she’s smart and quick-on-her-feet, and trying her hardest to improve everyone’s lives…but she’s not perfect either. She makes mistakes and she doesn’t always do things for the right reasons. Flawed characters with room for growth are the best kind to read about.
I also loved reading about how the world worked and how things changed due to the virus. It seems bleak and grim at times, but the characters make the best of their situation, and I loved how they went about setting up their city, seeing how they ran it. There are a lot of dystopian books out there, but this one really stood out to me, especially since it’s both MG and a graphic novel. I’m very tempted to find the original now!
More Bookanistas Posts This Week
Christine Fonseca brings you a special Guestanista review of SPRINKLES AND SECRETS
Shannon Messenger delights in DEAD TO YOU – with giveaway
Beth Revis interviews TEMPEST author Julie Cross – with giveaway
Jessi Kirby takes a shine to the SURRENDER and new POSSESSSION covers
Stasia Ward Kehoe adores IN HONOR
Veronica Rossi is crazy for INCARNATE
Nikki Katz marvels at A MILLION SUNS
Gennifer Albin is on fire over CINDER
Tracy Banghart is all about THE OTHER LIFE
Jessica Love wonders at THE FAULT IN OUR STARS
Hilary Wagner mourns over THE DEATH OF YORIK MORTWELL — with giveaway
Bookanistas: WILDEFIRE by Karsten Knight
WILDEFIRE by Karsten Knight (July 26, 2011)
Every flame begins with a spark.
Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.
This book comes out on my birthday, so I thought that meant it was a sure-win for me to like. I was right!
First, it has an amazing premise. Certainly different from anything I’ve read. Polynesian volcano goddess? Yes, please! Not to mention the seriously feisty heroine, the sister who is a force to be reckoned with and the amazing, quirky cast of characters. The prose is also incredibly well-written and brilliantly hilarious. I adore paranormal/urban fantasy, especially with fresh new takes like this one and with a voice that stands out from the crowd. And even though I’ve already read it, I’ll be buying it on my birthday when it releases. Happy birthday to me! :p
Also, if you haven’t seen Karsten’s awesome dance skillz yet, here you go. You’ll thank me.
More Bookanistas Posts This Week
Elana Johnson celebrates A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie
LiLa Roecker adores Torn
Christine Fonseca is crazy about Cryer’s Cross – with giveaway
Beth Revis interviews Goddess Test author Aimee Carter – with giveaway
Carolina Valdez Miller delights in Texas Gothic AND Bad Taste in Boys – with giveaways
Jessi Kirby is giddy about Hourglass
Shana Silver fawns over Forever
Matt Blackstone savors Something Like Hope
Stasia Ward Kehoe jumps for Bumped
Veronica Rossi devours Bad Taste in Boys
Bookanistas: DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth
In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she’s kept hidden from everyone because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.
I stayed up until after four a.m. reading this book. I’d read up until about page 130 before picking it up that night. I didn’t stop until the last page - page 487. While I have occasionally read 350+ pages in one sitting, it’s rare. Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, City of Glass, Uglies. There always comes a point when I’m reading books like these, no matter how many pages are left, where I say to myself, “I’m not sleeping until I finish this book.” In Jen speak, it means it’s good. It means, it’s REALLY GOOD. And destined to hit my favorites list.
DIVERGENT includes all the things I love in a story. It has a unique, well-developed world set in a place we don’t know even though it’s a futuristic, dystopic version of Chicago. The factions in this world are interesting and different than anything I’ve ever read. People divided up based on their tendencies, their personalities, really. How weird would that be? But it’s so well-developed that it’s easy to picture the world this way when reading the book. These people must choose which faction they want to be in, which rules they want to live by. But if they choose something other than where they’ve grown up, they’ll lose everything. Their home, their family, their friends.
And then there’s the initiation. All the tasks each new faction member must do in order to be officially accepted into their faction. It’s exciting, full of tension and heavy on the mystery. Because, something more is going on, and the strong-willed heroine of the story gets sucked into it due to that secret of hers.
While the main plot of this story gets wrapped up, there’s a bit of a cliffhanger ending and threads left open, but I’m a fan of that when I know for sure there’s more books to come. I want to know more about the Amity faction, more about the world outside Chicago and more about what’s to come now that the events in the last third of the first book have happened. Because it’s pretty much changed everything for Chicago.
Basically, this book is GOOD. Five stars.
More Bookanistas Posts This Week
Elana Johnson adores A Need So Beautiful
LiLa Roecker is gaga for Are You Going to Kiss Me Now?
Christine Fonseca interviews YA Fiction for Dummies author Deborah Halverson – with giveaway
Beth Revis interviews A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie author Matt Blackstone
Carolina Valdez Miller is wowed by Wildefire – with giveaway
Shana Silver and Veronica Rossi gush over Hourglass
Rosemary Clement-Moore thinks Chime is divine
Stasia Ward Kehoe has applause for Trauma Queen
Bookanistas: IMAGINARY GIRLS by Nova Ren Suma
IMAGINARY GIRLS by Nova Ren Suma (Penguin Young Readers, June 2011)
Chloe’s older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can’t be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby’s friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.
But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.
Have you ever read a book and been completely blown away? That is this book for me. Last week, I saw that there was a 75 page preview of the book online, and I read it all in about half an hour. I was sucked in, I was mesmerized by it. Not only by the kind of beautiful prose and voice that I envy and wish I had in my own writing, but also by the story of these two sisters, by the mysterious, magic-realism-type events happening, and by how different it is from anything I’ve read in a very long time.
So, Tuesday, when the book released, I promptly bought the e-book (since I am in the UK right now) and finished it up in one sitting. And then ran to my critique partner to talk about it, because it’s the kind of book you keep thinking about once you finish devouring the words. The kind you want to dig into deeper because it doesn’t spell everything out for the reader.
It is beautifully told. It is magical. It is creepy and haunting. It is full of characters so deeply drawn, you feel as if you really know them. And it is the kind of story that captures you and won’t let you go.
More Bookanistas Posts This Week
Beth Revis interviews Hourglass author Myra McEntire – with giveaway
Christine Fonseca and Rosemary Clement-Moore devour Bad taste in Boys
Shannon Messenger croons over Uncommon Criminals – with giveaway
Myra McEntire invites Possession author Elana Johnson into the Fort
Shana Silver gushes about Bloodlines – with arc giveaway
Stasia Ward Kehoe is stunned by Girl, Stolen
Bookanistas: POSSESSION by Elana Johnson
There are two fun Bookanista things I want to share this week!
1. First, POSSESSION by Elana Johnson has been released into the world! Congrats Elana!
POSSESSION by Elana Johnson (Simon & Schuster Children’s / June 2011)
Vi knows the Rule: Girls don’t walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn…and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi’s future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.
But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they’re set on convincing Vi to become one of them….starting by brainwashed Zenn. Vi can’t leave Zenn in the Thinkers’ hands, but she’s wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous: everything Zenn’s not. Vi can’t quite trust Jag and can’t quite resist him, but she also can’t give up on Zenn.
This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.
I was lucky to snag an ARC of POSSESSION a few months ago. I was very excited to read as I’m a big fan of dystopians, especially one with a feisty, resourceful heroine who’s breaking rules right in chapter one.
The book starts out running, and while I don’t want to spoil too much, Vi quickly finds herself in prison, sharing a cell with the intriguing Jag. I absolutely loved these scenes, and I couldn’t read fast enough to find out how the characters were going to handle being in this cell, if they were ever going to get out, how they would get out and what they’d do next…but you’ll have to read to find out. :p
There’s lots of fast-paced action, interesting sci-fi elements and plenty of romance. Definitely a page-turner, just how I like it!
2. The Bookanistas have put together a crazy, little video to congratulate Veronica Roth and DIVERGENT’s New York Times Bestseller list status! Congrats Veronica!
More Bookanistas Posts This Week
Elana Johnson and Stasia Ward Kehoe savor Bad Taste in Boys
LiLa Roecker celebrates The Summer of the Bear
Christine Fonseca has got a surprise for a Bookanista buddy
Beth Revis interviews Blood Magic author Teresa Gratton
Carolina Valdez Miller enjoys a special celebration
Jessi Kirby and Megan Miranda gush about Imaginary Girls
Bethany Wiggins is crazy about Delirium
Shana Silver sings praises for Starcrossed
Veronica Rossi hails Hereafter
Carrie Harris glories in Texas Gothic
Bookanistas: CLARITY by Kim Harrington
CLARITY by Kim Harrington (Scholastic/Point, March 2011)
Clarity “Clare” Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It’s a gift.
And a curse.
When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare’s ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case–but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare’s brother–who has supernatural gifts of his own–becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?
It’s been months since I devoured a book quite like I did with this one. It’s an intriguing page-turner that combined my two favorite genres - paranormal and murder mystery. And, in fact, it was the murder mystery that was my favorite part of this story and how it was solved Veronica Mars style using paranormal powers and, in the case of the spunky heroine, just plain smarts.
I also adored the characters, specifically the family that surrounds Clare. They’re quirky and lovable, and they each have their flaws, which make them even that much more fun to read about. I also thought the town itself was brought to life really well, and I loved all the fun details about what living is a tourist town is really like.
I’ve been looking for more teen sleuth novels told with a paranormal angle, and I absolutely can’t wait to read more in this series.
More Bookanistas Posts This Week
Elana Johnson reveals the cover of The Eleventh Plague
LiLa Roecker wonders What Happened to Goodbye
Christine Fonseca wants to be Like Mandarin
Jamie Harrington falls for Falling Under
Shelli Johannes-Wells visits Dark and Hollow Places
Beth Revis discovers Lost and Found
Carolina Valdez Miller is wild about Wither
Megan Miranda swoons for Anna and the French Kiss
Bethany Wiggins commends Ketura and Lord Death
Shana Silver gushes over What Happened to Goodbye
Carrie Harris is mesmerized by Memento Nora
Matt Blackstone visits The Ninth Ward
Corrine Jackson jumps for Bumped
Stasia Ward Kehoe spotlights Strings Attached