Lu, Marie: Legend (Legend, #1)

November 29, 2011
Putnam Juvenile
YA Dystopian, 305 pages
Acquired and read: My local library; read within a day (it was THAT good)

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

This is the dystopian I've been waiting for all of 2011.

Though not completely a retelling of Les Miserables, Marie Lu's talented debut still takes the important threads of the plot line and weaves them together into an entire new setting. I was a little thrown off balance at first because somehow I figured that Day was the girl (blame the long hair), but after that little confusion was sorted out, it was one smooth ride.

I loved the way that Lu made both characters loveable and sympathizable in their own way. Usually, I end up liking the boy and hating the girl for totally not deserving him, or vice versa. In Legend, I do admit that I was biased towards Day because it felt like he had so much more at stake than June, but she still had a soft spot in my heart for her circumstances. Confession: It hurt when Metias died. It really did.

(But definitely not about her Trial-SAT-whatzit scores. Way to make all us non-evolved teenagers feel dumb.)

Also, in my opinion, Day > Katniss when it comes to be a revolutionary starter. I mean, I probably mentioned this before, but in the Hunger Games, it seemed like people chose Katniss as their symbol merely because of a flaming dress gimmick. With Day, it made much more sense - a Robin Hood tripping up the rich set with every step they take? Of course the citizens would take him as their figure of hope.

(No offense to any Katniss fans. I say it how I see it.)

The main thing that irritated me - as it does in most every YA I read nowadays - is how quickly a cute face and "glittering eyes" can make a girl/guy fall in love. Day and June knew nothing about each other, and Day still acted like a sop over her even after she betrayed him. I do have to admit, though, that I liked the way that the author kept June on her guard until she learned more about Day for herself. Rational researching heroines for the win. Another thing was the miraculous case of their both being prodigies, which I hope will be explained more in the next book: if Day was a prodigy, too, why was he shipped off?

Also, did anyone else notice some subtle foreshadowing on page 182 - the confrontation between Thomas and June? Cool hinting, that.

Warnings: Character deaths - all of which made my heart stop for a few minutes. :( Other than that, no other red lights.

Final verdict: Read it. You won't regret it.

Mafi, Tahereh: Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)

November 15, 2011
HarperCollins
YA Dystopian, 338 pages
Acquired and read: Through Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for a fair and unbiased review; read in a day

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

Though Shatter Me is touted as a combination between The Hunger Games and X-Men, I think it's fair to warn you that the superhero factor of the story doesn't really get going until the last hundred or so pages. I do have to agree that the dystopian factors of the story will appeal to Hunger Games fans, minus the love triangle (no opposing Gale, guys - sorry). The main bad guy, Warner, in particular reminds me of President Snow, minus that creepy detail of the blood-tainted breath.

Oh, and Warner's like nineteen. That was another detail that really threw me off. From the way Juliette describes him at first, I was picturing him as a sleazy old man. (Just goes to show you that I need to read a little deeper into my context clues...)

On the whole, I can see why Shatter Me appeals to trendy teen readers. The writing style and plot speed reminded me more than once of Twilight, and the heroine has an appropriate troubled past and unsure future. The world is appropriately dark and hopeless - food is scarce, people are dying and the new government that has promised a solution to it all is more interested in cruel dictatorship than a hopeful future.

However, for some reason, I really couldn't attach myself to this one. It might be the hype; recently, I find that if there's too much media storm around a title, I end up pinning too high hopes on it, and get disappointed when I find that it's not really what I expected. More importantly, there's a lot of strong language (one of my major pet peeves, as you probably know by now) and a few moments of what Hollywood would probably deem "brief sensuality".

Definitely not a PG read in my opinion.

Besides the language, my other main bone of contention was with the copious use of idioms and similes and metaphors that were rather distracting and in some places, quite disturbing. (My personal favorite: "my heart was a water balloon shattering in my chest" - my own heart gave a little uncomfortable lurch at that one. It sounds less like a moment of extreme tension and more like a medical emergency.)

The general conclusion? Not really my cup of tea, but that doesn't mean it won't be someone else's. Maybe I've had too much dystopians for this year...but then again, we're about to go head-on with 2012 and the Apocalypse in a couple of weeks, so we could also take it as a year well spent in preparation.

Warnings: As mentioned before, brief sensuality and strong language.

Final verdict: Not my type of dystopian, but I'm not going to knock it for anyone else.

Schwab, Victoria: The Near Witch

August 2, 2011
Hyperion Books
YA Fantasy, 282 pages
Acquired and read: Via the local library cooperative, and read within twenty-four hours

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

And there are no strangers in the town of Near.
 These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.

But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.

The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget.

I've been looking forward to this for SO LONG, and I'm so happy that it's lived up to my expectations.

The writing is...for lack of a better word, scrumptious. The cadence and feel resemble a genuine fairy tale, but with enough of a modern edge that today's generation won't feel out of their depth. Lexi wandering the moors feels as familiar and chilling to my heart as searching in the woods for Baba Yaga and her chicken-footed hut, or Gerda following The Snow Queen's footsteps in order to rescue her beloved Kai.

Also, Ms. Schwab gets the action going right away. From the first page, we know what's going on and what's at stake. Children are missing. A new (handsome, of course) stranger has arrived in Near. Lexi instantly captivated me as a heroine who both loves her family and is willing to follow her heart - and when she's in trouble, she doesn't a) break down and cry, b) attempt to snag a sparkly, exsanguinated boyfriend who can fight her battles for her, or c) both of the above. Very refreshing. (I also loved Magda and Dreska - I understand why Lexi likes to hang out with them as much as possible.) All the factors melded together to make a flawless, breathtaking story that I know I will want to visit again in the future.

I was a fan of Victoria Schwab even before I read the book, but this has pretty much ensured I'll be a fan for life.

Warnings: None. Unless you find long-dead witches coming back for vengeance too much for your heart to take.

Final verdict: YES. (I should find some way to get a graphic of a red stamp so that it looks all official.)

Johnson, Maureen: The Name of the Star (Shades of London #1)

September 29, 2011
Penguin Young Readers Group
YA Mystery/Supernatural, 372 pages
Acquired and read: Courtesy of my most beloved public library (I was first on the waiting list - oh yeah!); read within approximately six hours

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 is what you fear.

Except for the whole arriving in London just for the killing spree of the century, Rory's pretty much living the life any Anglophile would die for - living it up in a posh boarding school, a cool roommate, and the possibility of having her head chopped off by the Ripper himself.


Ahem. Yes, I'd take it all except for the last part.


Though I follow her religiously on Twitter, this was the first of Maureen Johnson's books I actually finished (started Suite Scarlett back in senior year, but you know how well that went) and I was absolutely hooked from start to finish. There was a bit of a lag during the whole information dumps about boarding school, but then again I know absolutely nothing about the British education system, so let's take that as a learning experience, shall we?


In any case, there's loads of cool accented words and slang (personal favorite: "I survived November 9th and All I Got was This Bloody T-Shirt"...I'm a future English major, I've got to love irony), rides on the Tube and, of course, Ripper-mania to keep the action going right up to the last page. And even after that, I went through the acknowledgments, admired the nice author photo on the flap, and drummed my fingers against the cover a few times waiting for a sequel to magically appear in my hands.


It didn't. Ah, well, you can't blame a girl for trying.

What I found particularly awesome about the book was how it followed along with the real Ripper's crimes...and believe me, I would know. (To make a long story short, some psychology classes seem to enjoy freaking their students out for life about venturing out at night...oh, and being a female in any major city? Watch out for your neck, my pretty.)


To sum it up for whoever didn't bother to read everything up there: 


Anglophile + interested about serial killers (just as long as you're not one) = have a go with The Name of the Star. You won't regret it.


Warnings (because I can't close off this review without 'em): Death. Gory, historically accurate, heartbreaking deaths. Please consult a physician if you have any conditions that might leave you with your hands over your heart and a book conspicuously falling to the floor. The Name of the Star is a book about a murderer, not a murderer itself. 


Also, there's quite a bit of macking, a little bit of profanity, and some other innuendo. This is a YA book, you know.


Final verdict: Yes. (I'm sparing you any more of my terrible British imitations. Just...yes.)

Carter, Ally: Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society, #2)

June 21, 2011
298 pages, Disney-Hyperion

"You're a smart girl, Katarina - too smart to take stupid chances. Better thieves than you have gone after that blasted stone, and they have paid."

Uncle Eddie stopped, and Kat could have sworn she saw his hand shake. His lips were a thin hard line when he whispered, "Great thieves have paid dearly."

Kat's voice was different when she said, "I know."

"We do not steal the Cleopatra, Katarina. It is..." Eddie trailed off, struggling for words.

"Cursed," Kat offered.

Eddie turned to her. He shook his head. "Forbidden."

Yes. I know I usually start out with the cut and dried blurb that the publishers so kindly provide on the inside flap of a book cover. But this day, my friends, calls for something different. This day, even as I dragged myself into the library after a grueling morning and plunked my card down and drummed my fingers against the wooden counter, was a red-letter day.

I promise that I didn't squeal when I held it in my hands. Well, maybe a little. Inwardly. It just feels like so many of my reads this year were...just not the type of book I needed to hit the spot.

And this is an author who always hits the right spot when it comes to girl power, sheer awesome action and the perfect quip in the face of a near-scrape with disaster. I was pretty sure that I would be savoring this for the rest of the week, but it's 10:03 now and I'm just nearing the last three chapters (I started around two-ish, I think, and had to stop and start around the usual errands). Ah well.

(My sister's heard this all day. Sorry, guys. It's your turn to endure my fangirling. Be happy I'm not pulling out the RPatz GIF again.)

Even though I was pretty sure that Heist Society was meant to stay a stand-alone, this sequel proved me wrong. For one thing, there is just as much Hale as the first one (thank you very much), and though I could've lived without a reappearance from Nick, yeah, he's in there too. I was a bit disappointed that we don't see the Bradshaw twins again until about 200 pages in, but believe me, you'll be too wrapped up in the drama to notice.

I don't want to spoil anything for you - do unto others as you would wish to be treated *halo flickers over head* - but let me just say: Kat. Meets. Her. Match.

Yes. It's the battle of the females, and (though I'm pretty sure who wins) I'm eagerly watching the back and forth action that's going on right now.

So, yeah, I think that pretty much sums it up.

1. Ally Carter is awesome.

2. Uncommon Criminals is one of the best releases of 2011.

3. More than enough Hale to go around.

Good night, America! I'm back to my book. *sinks nose back between pages*

Carter, Aimee: The Goddess Test (The Goddess Test, #1)

April 19, 2011
304 pages, Harlequin Teen

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.


If she fails...

Honestly, I liked the concept of this story a bit more than I thought I would be. Recently, I seem to  be a bit - jaded? pessimistic? - about the quality of YA fiction. Characters are redundant. Plots fall through like the hole in a donut. However, The Goddess Test was a rare exception.

That isn't to say the story was completely perfect. The main aspect that made my sister and I have a good laugh was the name Henry. If you're a mythology geek (like moi) you are probably aware that besides his main title, Hades, the God of the Underworld has several different names that he is called by. Henry evokes a picture of a stuffy young English man with lace about his collar, rather than a tall, dark and handsome immortal.

Also (not really a big deal) the high school and its surrounding areas instantly makes me think of Forks - or that might be the little blurb stating Henry as being "dark and tortured"...Edward Cullen, anyone?

The other bone of contention happened near the end - a brief, not-at-all described night of intimacy between Kate and Henry that I thought was unnecessary. If this doesn't bother you, please overlook my morals, but for me that was a bit of a squicky situation, as was the "discussion" afterward about the circumstances that fueled their, ahem, lust. As a teenager, I can tell you straight off that adding intimate scenes in a YA book doesn't convince me that it's meant for my age group.

(Then again, I guess you can't expect less from Harlequin.)

Other than that, the story was an intriguing idea - what if Persephone couldn't adapt to Hades? What if there was a need for another Queen of the Underworld? I liked Kate well enough - up until the part I mentioned; her desire to have more time with her dying mother was honorable, although I don't think that quickly accepting the proposal of a strange guy - no matter how cute he is - is really a smart thing to do. (Don't try this at home, kids.)

To make a long story short, it wasn't Rick Riordan, but it was an interesting opening to the series, and I can't help but want to see what happens next.

Warnings: Brief scene of intimacy, not described, but you know what happened. There's also a girl with loose morals when it comes to the opposite gender, if you get what I mean.

Just a quick commentary on the cover. I think that the designers were very appropriate with the model and the way they positioned her. She sort of gives off this desperate, yet resigned, look (does that even make sense?), and the way her hand rests on her chest makes me feel as though she's taking her last breath.

I'm all about the symbolism.