Showing posts with label 2011 YA Reading Challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2011 YA Reading Challenge. Show all posts
Blood on the Moon by Jennifer Knight
Melody
ISBN-13: 9780762441174
Publisher: Running Press Book Publishers
Published: August 2011
Format: Paperback, 416pp
Source: Personal Library



Vampires. Werewolves. There are absolutely too many books on these mythical creatures out in the market and while I feel it is great to have a wide range to choose from, I don't want to feel like I am reading the same story over and over again thus I think I am pretty choosy when it comes to books that featured such themes.

I first stumbled upon Blood on the Moon on a blog (I couldn't remember who) and the blogger stated that she enjoyed reading it. Intrigued by her review and the blurb as well, I picked up the book and I was glad to say it didn't disappoint me.

Faith and Derek are best friends for years and it is no surprise that they enter into the same college. Derek has feelings towards Faith but she didn't want to accept his love considering that he has cheated on her once and she felt that she would feel more comfortable being friends.

Enter Lucas, a mysterious classmate who seem to have this strange yet dangerous vibe around him. He intrigues her, and needless to say they feel attracted towards each other. It turns out that he is a werewolf and his pack has this mission of eliminating the vampires whom they believe have murdered several girls around the campus.

To complicate matters and to heighten the climax, Lucas has to face his ex-good friend and namesis, Vincent, who is a vampire and they had this feud centuries ago. There is a little history about their feud so I am not going to elaborate on that here.

Faith vows to find out more about Lucas and the mystery surrounding the dead girls, but instead of finding answers she finds herself being caught in between the old feud between Lucas and Vincent. It is also up to her to save Derek's life as Vincent uses him as a pawn to lure Faith out so that he could use that advantage against Lucas, knowing that they have a thing for each other.

As mentioned before, I was glad that Blood on the Moon didn't disappoint me. Initially I was worried that it would bear some resemblance to the Twilight Saga, but after reading a few chapters I realised that my worry is superfluous. Although there is a romance drama (as expected), the heroine knows what she wants right from the beginning so this story is very much about the chemistry (and telepathy?) between Faith and Lucas, as well as the feud between Lucas and Vincent. Oh, there are also some intense moments about Derek being a pawn so all these add up to my reading pleasure.

As for the characterisations, I have to say they are well described but I regret to say that among all of the characters, only Lucas stood out from the rest in my opinion. Vincent makes a great villain, but his role is limited considering that there is a twist to the plot in which I wouldn't want to disclose it here. And as much as I liked Faith and think she is brave when confronting her personal demons, I think part of her weakness lies with Derek as she wouldn't want to end their friendship but yet she felt she couldn't trust him enough. A dilemma, indeed.

And, I don't even want to talk about the ending, which is totally a cliffhanger! I tried to google for the sequel title and its release date but couldn't seem to find it but I am hoping that the wait wouldn't be long!
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Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
Melody
ISBN-13: 978-1407121116
Publisher: Scholastic
Published: July 2011
Format: Paperback, 448 pgs
Source: Personal Library




Forever is the final instalment of Maggie Stiefvater’s Wolves of Mercy Falls Series and readers who had read Shiver and Linger would be able to understand my anticipation and enthusiasm of reading this long-awaited novel; a series which have enticed many readers into Maggie’s world of werewolves unlike the others.

Forever continues where Linger left off but unlike the previous instalments, this book focused more on the struggles that Grace and Sam faced and how they are finding ways to improve (or hopefully to solve) the tricky situation they have fell into, together with the help of Cole, a friend of both who has the looks and charisma to charm your socks off easily (including myself) and Isabel, who I think has character no matter if you like her or not. Then, there are also Sam’s feelings towards Beck, a father figure whom Sam look up to and goes to whenever he has problems.

The beginning of the story tends to be going on slow in my opinion, but the pace picks up towards the middle and then there is no turning back. The switching point of views enabled me to get into each character’s mind (in particular to Grace, Sam, Cole and Isabel) and to feel the emotions they are through. To avoid spoilers and for other readers who haven’t read this series, I had chosen not to write the premise of what happened to these characters so all I have to say is there is a call for wolves hunting and that the lives of some of these characters are at stake.

While I enjoyed reading the romance between Grace and Sam, I had hoped that there would be romance between Cole and Isabel even though the emotions they felt for each other are subtle. In any ways I felt there is potential between them and I hope the author will write their stories in the near future.

Like any other highly anticipated and well read series, the ending is always the hardest to read because you never know where the author would take you and also, would the readers be able to accept a sad ending should it call for it. Forever, however, is one of those stories that didn’t wrap up with a big red bow. By saying this, I didn’t mean it to be a sad ending but rather an ending which makes you think, hope and to look back on the experience which the characters have been through. All in all, I enjoyed reading this series and I am glad to note that Maggie Stiefvater has a new release, The Scorpio Races, to be out in October in which she will take us into her world of horses and racing.

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Stay by Deb Caletti
Melody
ISBN-13: 9781442403734
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Published: April 2011
Format: Hardcover , 320pp
Source: Personal Library



I have read many glowing reviews on Deb Caletti’s books but just haven’t got around to reading them yet. Thus I chose Stay while browsing through my bookshelves for my next read and how I wished I had read her books earlier!

Stay is about obsessive love and though it is a fiction, this happens in our everyday’s life and I think it is great that authors create awareness of this issue and not to mention as to tell the victims that it is all right to let the relationship go and to seek assistance should the other party made threats or became dangerous.

Clara Oates thinks she has found the right guy after she first met Christian at her school during a basketball game. After all, Christian is so unlike her ex-boyfriend. Christian is not only attractive but he is also a neat and organised person; and on top of that he always shows much attention towards Clara. At the beginning, Clara is flattered by his attention but the more she spends her time with him and get to know him better, the more she wants to escape from their relationship and most frightening of all, his obsessive love towards her.

Told from Clara’s perspective and with alternating chapters shifting between flashbacks and the present, Clara shares with the readers her close relationship with her single father who is a well-known crime fiction author, her new-love Finn and his family while they are staying in a rented house by the sea in Bishop Rock to escape the past (most of all, from Christian) and the secrets that her father has kept all the while relating to Clara’s late mother. From the opening of the story, Clara keeps the readers intrigued through her captivating voice and the prose used for her story:


“First off, I’ve never told this story to anyone. Not the entire thing anyway, and not entirely truthfully. I’m only telling it now for one reason, and that’s because an untold story has a weight that can submerge you, sure as a sunken ship at the bottom of the ocean. I learned that. This kind of story, those kind of things kept secret—they have the power to keep you hidden forever, and most of all from yourself. The ghosts from that drowned ship, they keep haunting.”

In any way, Stay read like a suspenseful story, not the kind where we wonder about the bad and/or evil protagonist but that feeling is just the same. I could sense Clara’s fear and her strong intention of finding freedom and escaping from Christian’s grasp. From stalking Clara and tracking her at Bishop Rock, Christian’s behaviour is considered scary and viewed as a threat to Clara’s life. However, Bishop Rock is not entirely a cheery place either as Clara has heard too many ghost stories surrounding the sea and the lighthouse; are they simply rumours or are they not? And there of course, is the secret that Clara’s father harbour all this while…

Not only I find Stay is well-written but I think what makes this book a must-read is the message behind it - that no victim should feel guilty for the other party’s behaviour and she should seek assistance as quickly as possible should she sense something is wrong with the relationship. Obsessive love is not love and it could endanger one’s life should the other party decides to turn violent and causes harm.

Another thing I wanted to mention is, aside from Deb Caletti’s writing style I also loved she put footnotes on some pages for elaborations/explanations from Clara’s POV, in which I find both original and refreshing for I don’t think I have ever come across any books which did that for fictional purpose. You can be sure that I will be checking out the rest of Deb Caletti’s books in the near future.
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Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler
Melody
ISBN-13: 9780738722870
Publisher: Flux
Published: March 2011
312 pgs
Source: Personal Library



After reading Holly Schindler’s debut novel, A Blue So Dark; a well-thought and emotional story between a fifteen-year-old girl and her schizophrenic mother (my review), I just knew I have to read her next release, Playing Hurt, which was out in March. Holly Schindler’s writing not only entices her readers but her story and the characterisations captivate you as well. You couldn’t help but to feel connected to her characters, though they are merely fictional characters. Reading Playing Hurt has once again evoked such emotions in me, but the feelings and all are very different as compared to A Blue So Dark.

Basketball player Chelsea Keyes has a bright future ahead of her and that she is ready to attend college with her athletic scholarship, but her hopes are all shattered into pieces after a horrible fall during the game. What is left of her is a fractured hip (which she has slowly recovered after the surgery) and a low morale which makes her miserable the more she thinks of it. Instead of a triumph life she has dreamt of, she now feels her life is nothing although she is comforted by the fact that she has a sweet and caring boyfriend, Gabe, who is always there for her whenever she needs it.

Hoping to restore her cheerful and positive spirit, her parents decided to send her for a three-week boot camp program at a northern Minnesota lake resort. There, she meets her trainer named Clint; a nineteen-year-old ex-hockey player who like her, is haunted by his past after his girlfriend died in an accident. Truth be told, she isn’t feeling too keen about the program and her worst fear is that accidents would befall on her again if she participates in any activities.

Clint, on the other hand, feels that work is the only thing in his life ever since of the passing of his girlfriend, Rosie. Unlike Chelsea, he gave up sports because it reminds him too much of Rosie and the accident. He simply didn’t have the heart and mind to play hockey despite the fact that Rosie’s accident has nothing to do with him or anything. Nevertheless, Clint and Chelsea are drawn to each other the more they spend time together and getting to know each other along the way. But as the three-week program is almost up, does that mean that their love and togetherness is coming to an end as well?

Told through Clint’s and Chelsea’s POVs in alternating chapters, Playing Hurt is a lovely story of two young characters’ journey towards finding hope and love, and also about exploring and finding their identity. Holly Schindler has once again captivated me through her wonderful storytelling but what made this a satisfying read is that these characters seemed real and honest to me through Holly’s skilful writing as she is able to capture the feelings and every emotions through their dialogues and you couldn’t help but to feel for them. I have to say I felt refreshed after reading this book as there is an uplifting note to it. However, I have to confess I wasn’t sure about Chelsea’s attitude to love as I got the impression that she and Gabe are in love from the beginning and that how could she falls for another guy she only knew for three weeks. But as I read further, I noticed that it is the connection that she feels with Clint (and vice versa) that speaks for everything and I felt myself rooting for them thereafter.

* * * * *

Did you miss reading my post on my interview with Holly Schindler? Here's the link.
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Falling Under by Gwen Hayes
Melody
ISBN-13: 9780451232687
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: March 2011
336 pgs
Source: Personal Library




There's this famous saying that we can't judge a book by its cover, still I feel it is essential to have an eye-catching cover especially when the author is new and/or that we've not heard of the book. Falling Under is such a case for me.

The story opens with an intriguing scene of a seventeen-year-old Theia Alderson witnessing a burning man falling from the sky. Wishing it was a dream, she tries to banish the image out of her mind but it seems like the young man wouldn't want her to forget it as the next thing Theia knows, he appears in her school as a new student known as Haden Black. And since then, Theia began to dream more of this mysterious new guy in various places that always seems so strange and frightening to her. In her dreams, he is often dressed like he belonged in another era, and there are other times that there are a few grotesque figures dancing around them.

Despite the dreams and everything, Theia couldn't stay away from him just like the way he is with her. As much as Theia is intrigued by him, she is clueless when it comes to boys and relationship as her father controls her life ever since her mother passing when she was a child. Like a caged bird, Theia's life revolves around nothing but playing violin most of the times. It is only through her two best friends that Theia finds some happiness and her sanity. Meeting Haden not only rocks her world but will alter her life thereafter as he belongs in another realm and he wants them to be together no matter what the cost is.

Falling Under is an interesting YA paranormal but it reminds me a little of Twilight in the beginning of the story where the heroine meets the new guy in school. That said, Falling Under is nothing like the popular vampire saga as the premise and the world building is so different. For starters, there isn't a love triangle here. And, I didn't know what Haden is until towards the middle of the book and though it has my curiosity piqued, it also left me a little frustrated not knowing what he was from the beginning.

The characterisations are fine in my opinion, however there are times I wish the characters for Theia and Haden are more developed just like the way Theia is with her two best friends. As much as I could feel the attraction between the hero and the heroine, somehow deep in my heart I questioned about their love because it felt a bit rushed to me and that one party is willing to sacrifice for another given the time span they knew each other. But then again, chemistry is a funny thing isn't it. As of writing this, I am still not sure how I should feel about this book; I just felt something is lacking and yet I couldn't explain what it is. Still, I would like to read Gwen Hayes' books in the near future.
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Orchards by Holly Thompson
Melody
ISBN-13: 9780385739771
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Published: February 2011
336 pgs
Source: Personal Library



I remember seeing Orchards by Holly Thompson on a few blogs I followed. Attracted by the lovely cover but more so intrigued by the plot, I decided to get a copy. When my copy arrived, I was a little surprised to find that it was written in free verse instead of a novel format. Since I have never read a book written in free verse (well they remind me of poetry, kind of) and given that the book I was reading then didn't intrigue me much, I decided to jump into it.

Half-Japanese and half-Jewish American, Kana Goldberg is an eight-grader whose life has taken a turn after a classmate commits suicide. Although Kana isn’t the one who had said the hurtful things to Ruth, nonetheless she still feels a little guilty since she is hanging out with the girls who were mean to Ruth. After the incident, Kana’s parents decided to send her off to Japan for the summer. Staying in her mother’s village home in Kohama where they grow mikan oranges for a living, they are hoping that her stay there will help to reflect on her behaviour.

Given her mixed heritage, Kana has difficulty fitting in and she learnt that her grandmother (whom she called Baachan) was unhappy when her mother left Japan many years ago and married an American. It took a while for the family to accept her and soon Kana adjust to her life in the rural orchard farm. Though she is far away from New York, Kana still think of Ruth, her death and how things might be different if it didn’t end it that way.

Filled with teenage angst, guilt, sorrow and reflection, Orchards is an emotional intense story told from Kana’s point of view which was directed to Ruth. I have to confess I was skeptical about the free verse format and wondered if this is suffice to tell a story, and surprisingly I found that this format works well through Holly Thompson’s prose and every of her words are enough to draw me in and pull my heartstring. I was also drawn to the few illustrations that spotlight some of the Japanese culture and symbols which I thought they somewhat lessened the brooding atmosphere given that Kana is sorting out her feelings as readers get to see her mature through the process.
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You Against Me by Jenny Downham
Melody
ISBN-13: 9780385613507
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Published: December 2010
416 pgs
Source: Personal Library



Before I start off with the review, I have to thank Kristy for recommending this book to me. Kristy is not a fellow bookblogger, but a staff (who is also a friend to me) working at a bookstore which I used to patronise frequently until my office relocated. Anyway, I was on leave from work the other day to collect some books from her when she shoved this book, You Against Me by Jenny Downham to me. "I think you might love this," that's what she said. I took the book from her, thinking it is a contemporary YA romance based on the cover. However, there isn't a blurb behind the cover except one short sentence printed on it: "You want this to be a love story?" Of course my curiosity was piqued.

Seeing my perplexed look, Kristy plucked the book out of my hands and began to tear off the plastic sheets that wrapped the book neatly and securely. "There, now you can find out how you like it." I flipped the cover and I read the blurb on the bookjacket. And I liked what I read, so I bought it together with those books she had reserved for me. I read this book the following day, and couldn't put it down. Are you still with me? I'm sorry I rambled, but I just want to share with you how this book came to me, and that I owed Kristy for recommending such a great book to me.

The story begins with Mikey McKenzie's family crumbling down when his younger sister, Karyn, being sexually assaulted by a guy named Tom Parker; a guy whom most of her school mates knew she had had a crush on him. The thing is, they were drunk with their friends at a party at his house and no one knew what happened except his younger sister, Ellie Parker. Though Tom is being charged, there are also some speculations surrounding Karyn though it is minimal. Just when you already felt the tension there, the momentum shifted when Mikey and Ellie met each other. Mikey wanted revenge for his sister, so he thought Ellie would be a good target to start with. However, the more Mikey knows Ellie, his feelings start to change.

Ellie, on the other hand, is a lonely girl who doesn't has many friends in school. To make things worse, her life has became a scrutiny to others in school now that her brother is charged for sexual assault. However, her world changes after she befriended with Mikey and she felt he is the only person who could understand her. For the first time in her life, she felt loved until she began to realise who he is.

You Against Me is a terrific contemporary YA novel that touches on family, loyalty, choice and of course, love. However this book is not suitable for younger readers for its topic, plus it has themes on alcohol and drugs. What I loved about this story is aside from the story is told, the characterisations are great and though Mikey and Ellie have their flaws and all, the way they are portrayed are real and honest. I felt for them, and I sympathised with them for the situation they were in. And then of course, I didn't know who I was angry with most. Mikey for his revenge plan, Ellie for her lies (I wouldn't want to say more to avoid spoilers), or Tom being the one who has started it all? I could only describe my reading experience is equivalent to riding a roller coaster ride, because I just don't know where it would take me and how far/steep the fall would go.

I have to applaud author, Jenny Downham, for writing such a sensitive, difficult yet a thought-provoking topic and though this book has the potential of a mystery, instead she has focused on the characterisations and the emotional ground which I think is a much more difficult feat and a far more rewarding reading experience. I totally enjoyed reading this book despite the heavy subject, and though I know no matter what happened to the ending, there is always this part where no one's life is ever be the same again and also that sometimes life doesn't have all the answers; still for my own selfish reason I gave this book a 4.75-stars instead of a 5-stars rating because I really want to know what happened to Tom Parker, even though I know this story is more of Mikey and Ellie. And needless to say, I will definitely be checking out Jenny Downham's books in the near future.
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A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler
Melody
ISBN-13: 9780738719269
Publisher: Flux
Published: May 2010
277 pgs
Source: Library




I don't think I have ever read a story that features a schizophrenic character. With so many rave reviews I read on A Blue So Dark over the blogosphere, I decided to add this book onto my to-read list and there you go.

Aura Ambrose thinks her life sucks. Her father left the family for another woman. Her mother, Grace, is a gifted artist and an art teacher but she is slowly losing her mind to schizophrenia. Due to her condition, there are times she couldn't differentiate between real life and imagination, and this reflected in her art. While Aura is trying hard to hold the family together, she has her own insecurities too, both in herself and her worries that one day she would be like her mother given the genes as well as her own gift in creativity. Because of these, she shun away from her interest as she thinks it would keep her sane. However, as Grace gets more out of control, Aura reaches a point where she began to feel suffocated by all the pressure.

Despite the subject, reading A Blue So Dark is like reading poetry as I find Holly Schindler's prose is simply beautiful and lyrical. She also captured Aura's emotions perfectly for I felt I could hear Aura's voice through her writing style, and I think this what makes the book stands out because of the believable, interesting characters. I wished I could describe my reading experience with A Blue So Dark as eloquently as Holly Schindler, but all I could think of are adjectives like 'powerful', 'compelling' and 'moving'.

This is a great debut by Holly Schindler about mother-daughter relationship and mental illness and I would definitely look forward to reading her books in the near future.


Holly Schindler's next release, Playing Hurt, will be out in March and I will be participating in her blog tour so look out for it!
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2011 Reading Challenges
Melody
This year, I have participated in a few reading challenges and I am ashamed to say I have completed only one or two challenges so far. As much as I love reading challenges, I am afraid that next year will be a year for my TBR pile. I need to get through those before they get way out of hand (which I am sure many of you would be able to relate to, right? Anyway, I'm giving up on the remaining challenges I signed up for this year since there is no way I am able to complete them at this point... sigh.) Still, that doesn’t mean that I won’t be participating in any reading challenges so here’s a few which I am participating in 2011:

2011 YA Reading Challenge (January 1st – December 31st)
I chose Option “Mini YA” where I need to read 12 YA novels. There is no need for a list so my choice will depend on my mood then.

2011 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge (January 1st – December 31st)
I chose “Level 1” where I need to read 5 books from the 2010 Book Blogger Recommendation List. My choice is as follows:

1) Juliet by Anne Fortier
2) Room by Emma Donaghue
3) Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
4) Personal Demons - Lisa Desrochers
5) Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

The TBR Dare (January 1st – April 1st)
Of course I wouldn't want to turn this down, after all this is another good excuse for me to clear those piles away. For this, I pledge to read as many books from my TBR pile till the last day of the dare.

What about you? Which 2011 reading challenges are you participating?

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