Shifted Perspective by J. Bridger - Book Review

Shifted Perspective by J. Bridger is about a werewolf, but he's really only a were-spaniel. When Caleb suddenly turns into a Cocker Spaniel once a month, he and his father don't know what to do. Until they find out that his mother's side of the family all do it too.

The characterization in this book was wonderful. From the very beginning I loved everyone. They are all very authentic and complex. The beginning has this great little twist, and as the story progresses it just moves in ways that aren't normal but flowed well. The very ending was particularly good as it wasn't open, all the loose ties were neatly knotted, but a new idea was introduced and draws the reader in, ready for the next installment.

The theme of the book plays out well. Every mention of something dog like made the story that much more: Caleb wraps a present for his girlfriend in Peanuts paper; his cousin Kalista 'wolfed down' so much food; the family dog calls the telephone a talking box. The humor is engaging and fun without being condescending or stupid.

There was a bit too much setup, the real story didn't start until almost three quarters in. But it was never boring and was a great take on the typical werewolf tale.

I received this book from the author for review.

Fathom by Merrie Destefano - Book Review

Fathom by Merrie Destefano is about Selkies and monsters and adolescence and confusion and love and courage. Kira lost her mother and sister when she was young. She believes that her mother killed her sister and then committed suicide. But her father and grandmother are keeping secrets. And something starts to change when a new group of kids shows up in town.

I have no words. It was beautifully written; it had a compelling cast of characters; it ended so smoothly with just a hint of a cliff hanger. From the very beginning the premise and the poetry of her prose gripped me. Kira had such real and true emotions. Every moment I felt just like a teenager again with the hormones and the confusion, so effortlessly shown through the waves of feeling.

The twists and turns kept coming, but everything was resolved by the end. The end was stunning and bittersweet but left enough room for more of a story without leaving the reader wanting. There were some truly eerie parts where I pulled the covers up higher and glanced around my room looking for monsters.

I was slightly confused by one thing because the story is based on the west coast of the States, but it seems the group of Selkies swam from Ireland (as far as I could tell). How did they do that? Other than that, I will highly recommend this book.

This book was given to me by the author for review.

Author Interview Jess Lourey The Toadhouse Trilogy

Hi Jess!

Just a few questions for Jess Lourey who wrote The ToadhouseTrilogy: Book One. I reviewed it last week and wanted to get into the mind of the author. Here we go:

So I think the question on all our minds, since your book is about books, is what is your favorite book and why?

Oh man, you started out with the killer question! That’s like asking me which of my kids I like the best. I’m not going to weasel out, though. If I had to pick the best, all-time book, the one I read at a very influential point in my life and that has resonated with me ever since, I’d pick Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Mists of Avalon. That book just spoke to me in my early 20s, took me away somewhere raw and beautiful, and changed my sense of myself. My favorite piece of classic literature is probably Sinclair Lewis’ Main Street, but the more I research for The Toadhouse Trilogy, the more I realize how many amazing classics there are just waiting for me to read them and fall in love.

How did you get from writing murder mysteries to young adult?

December Dread comes out next month, and it’s the eighth book in my Murder-by-Month series, which means I’ve been writing mystery novels for over seven years nw. When I set out to write the first in The Toadhouse Trilogy over a year ago, though, it didn’t feel like a deliberate choice to switch genres so much as giving voice to a story idea that I had that I became obsessed with. I hope my mystery roots serve me well in the pacing of The Toadhouse Trilogy. As my ten-year-old son likes to tell me, the best YA is YA with a secret.

Who is your favorite character in The Toadhouse Trilogy: Book One?

I want to say Aine because she is the main character, but to be honest, she and I butted heads so much that I’m still a little sore. She’s so strong-willed that she didn’t stand for much author manipulation. I found myself losing sleep over Spenser, her brother, though, and feeling sad for days when bad things happened to him. And I also have a deep crush on Gilgamesh. Hmm. You know, some days, when I’m at my weakest, I just wish someone else would hurry up and write these books so I could read them, but then I wouldn’t get the honor of wrestling with these characters, all of whom I’ve come to love.

Any particular reason you chose to write about fairies?

You know how when you learn a new word, suddenly you hear it everywhere? Once this story idea came into my head, I started seeing parts of it everywhere, and I only had to weave them into the fabric of the larger story. I knew there had to be a magical element, the “writers” in the world I was creating, and the more I started digging in classic literature, the more I realized how often fairies appear in some of the greatest works of fiction ever written. So, the fairies knocked, so to speak, and I answered the door.

I’m not sure if you’ll answer this one, but can you give us a hint as to where Aine and Spenser will go next?

I can do you one better. At least I hope you think it’s one better. J Here’s the description for Monsters: The Toadhouse Trilogy, Book Two:

Aine, Spenser, and Gilgamesh have retrieved the first object, but their time is running out. Biblos the Book Worm has returned, and he is devouring the greatest novels ever written in his hunt for the threesome. Their desperate search for the remaining two objects is further complicated when Madame Bovary discovers the secret of the toadhouse and escapes her novel to wreak havoc across worlds. Aine leads the desperate race through Babbit, Frankenstein, Beowulf, and The Jungle, confused by the developing romance between her and Gilgamesh, worried for her brother Spenser who is growing ever inward, and amazed as her and Spenser's magical powers develop by the day. Will they retrieve the second object, or will Biblos destroy them first?

Thanks for doing this Jess. Can’t wait to see more of your young adult books.

It’s been my absolute pleasure! Thank you for having me.

Jess Lourey is the author of The Toadhouse Trilogy: Book One, the first in a young adult series that celebrates the danger and excitement of reading. She also writes the critically-acclaimed Murder-by-Month Mysteries for adults with a sense of humor. She's been teaching writing and sociology at the college level since 1998. When not gardening, writing, or hanging out with her wonderful kids and dorky dog, you can find her reading, watching SyFy-channel original movies, and dreaming big. You can visit her website at http://www.jesslourey.com/toadhouse/index.html, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/jess.lourey, or email her at jesslourey@yahoo.com.

The Toadhouse Trilogy: Book One by Jess Lourey - Book Review

The Toadhouse Trilogy: Book One by Jess Lourey is an adventure for readers. If you've ever wanted to hop into stories like they were real worlds, pick this one up. Aine and her brother Spenser don't realize it, but they are living in a book. And they have an adventure awaiting them that takes them to places like The Time Machine and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

This book was so refreshing. It completely swept me away and didn't let up until the very end. It was never too easy for the characters (which I find happening a lot in adventure/fantasy fiction). As the characters travel through the books, Jess comments and analyzes the stories but without making it feel like an essay. She simply points out things that one would not typically notice, like how Mr. Hyde looks like each person's worst nightmare and that is what makes him ugly.

I had disappointments. We never find out which book they begin in (though a hint is mentioned in the back of the book). The narrator jumps from character to character when it is not truly an omniscient narrator. The ending seemed a tad bit deflated, only because the object they were searching for was not something that was planted early on in the story or was a well-known object from a well-known story so that the reader could employ a bit of detective work.

All in all, I loved this one. I can't wait to see the next two.

I received this book from the author for review.

Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft by Jody Gehrman - Book Review

Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft by Jody Gehrman is the story of a new witch, Audrey. Her mother disappears, a mysterious cousin shows up to babysit, and she has foreboding feelings about it all.

The voice in this book was flashy and fun. There was just enough high school mixed with new-witch-hiding-her-identity. I was completely in love with the 'cousin,' Sadie. She's eccentric and cool all at the same time. And the book is all around fun without being vapid and girly. The love story felt natural, with their awkwardness being very endearing. It wasn't love at first sight but there was definitely a lot of attraction.

By the end of the book though, Audrey's motivations were weak. She went somewhere she didn't absolutely feel compelled to go and that frustrated me. The book was an easy read, but I'm frustrated it wasn't finished. You all know how I loathe open endings. This one wasn't quite open, but I don't think it required a sequel either.

If you like a fun read involving witches and sort-of zombies, with well rounded characters and a horrific highschool enemy, then pick this one up for sure.

I received this book from the author for review.

Night of the Purple Moon by Scott Cramer - Book Review

Night of the Purple Moon by Scott Cramer is a young adult post-apocalyptic science fiction. A comet's dust turns the sky purple, and space germs kill everyone who is past puberty. The world is left with a few scientists who were quarantined, and thousands of kids. On an island off of Maine, a group of kids bands together to survive.

The high stakes and constant motion just kept building throughout the book. I didn't want to stop. The idea was what really intrigued me, but the personality and writing really hooked me. It's written in third person so we can bounce from character to character. I liked that, but I also think it could have benefited from being first person for the emotion. Still, a lot of moments had me gripping my seat in anticipation.

The characters are all very solid and real. For the story revolving entirely around children, it didn't feel childish or silly at any point. A lot of science and knowledge was thrown in because of one nerdy character; hope and love and worry were projected by another. They all had their roles and were connected to each other in simply beautiful ways.

Scott touched a few times on the fact that these thousands of children would one day have to procreate in order to keep the race continuing, but it was never weird or wrong. There were still twelve-year-old crushes, not intense love you wouldn't expect from pre-teens, and every once in a while someone would mention it but they would just continue on as if it wasn't said.

The beginning of the book threw me a little. The timing seemed strange, but once I got into the flow of the writing and the comet dust fell into the atmosphere, curling its way around the moon, I couldn't stop.

I received this book from the author for review.

The Light and Fallen by Anna White - Book Review

The Light and Fallen by Anna White is a young adult paranormal romance about angels and high school and lost things. Lucius is an angel who is sent to earth to find a lost key, and he ends up in a seventeen-year-old body. He meets Samara and is instantly drawn to her. But Jack, one of the fallen angels, wants her for himself.

This book was a very fast read. I enjoyed how easy and fun it was. That doesn't mean uncomplicated, because the plot was pretty thick. As the story progressed I thought I knew what the key was, then I started to doubt, but I was right in the end. It wasn't that the story was simple to figure out, it was more that Anna took the readers on a journey where we didn't quite expect and then it meandered back to the more expected path and then she hit us with a big surprise in the end.

At times the love was sappy and silly, but at other times I really felt deeply for the characters. I certainly connected with them. The one problem I had was that a lot of the ideas felt cliche. It seems that young adult has become like romance fiction where they follow a specific path and don't deviate - Samara's parents aren't really part of her life, she falls in love with an angel and has a dark angel vying for her attention. It's good because the reader feels comfortable, but personally I'm looking for more. The one thing that stood out for me was that she stood up for herself. She wasn't some silly little girl who had to be saved.

I received this book from the author for review.

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr - Book Review

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr seems like one of those cliche teen sex stories, but it so is not. Deanna is caught having sex at 13...by her father. It changes her future in ways she didn't imagine. But she comes to realize that the future is her choice.

The beginning did seem a tad cliche to me. Deanna describes imagining a story while Tommy does what he does to her in the backseat of a car. Probably a normal reaction for a teenage girl, but typical. Then I kept reading. The cliche beginning was only to show that the character was a normal teenager, but she has an seamless character arc that grows into a strong, independent yet thoughtful young woman.

Deanna is clever in a natural subtle way. Not like some young adult books where the teenagers banter like well-read, sweater vest-wearing Oxford students.There were times where she didn't know what to say. There were times when she didn't want to open her mouth even though she should have. It was all so real.

Sara Zarr has the ability to make me feel like I am the character. There were times where my palms were sweating and I wanted to tear my hair out. Emotions flooded me. I truly enjoyed this book.

Her Daughter's Eyes by Jessica Barksdale Inclan - Book Review

Her Daughter's Eyes by Jessica Barksdale Inclan is the story of a secret. Two sisters share that secret, until they can't hide it anymore. Then it becomes both the thorn in their side and the glue that holds their life together. One of them is pregnant at 17.

The literary aspects of the story and writing are simple, hidden, and shocking. Tiny little moments that seem insignificant become huge forerunners for revelations later on. In the beginning I felt that the sisters were only 14, maybe younger. Their situation seemed that much more terrible. I'm wondering if that was intentional.

There was a lot of build up for the secret to come out. There's more than the pregnancy, and the book makes you feel it is one way, then another, and then finally it is revealed. I loved that it wasn't the pregnancy that was the big secret, although it was a minor one, but that something else was occupying the thoughts of the characters.

I have not read a young adult novel that felt this emotionally involved, real, and literary in a while. I truly enjoyed it.

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler - Book Review

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler is about knowing what will come and how Emma and Josh react to that knowledge. In 1996 they sign onto AOL and are prompted to log in again, but what they log in to is Facebook, fifteen years in the future. There’s some sort of time warp and Emma’s Facebook login is still the same. Emma takes the information and tries to change her future – the butterfly effect. Josh just wants to flow with the current and let his future happen as it is.

The first few chapters are a little overwhelming with the constant mention of Dave Matthews, Toy Story, AOL, and all the other 1996-ish things. I felt like a mole getting wacked over the head.

I found Emma to be a shallow character. But I also found that she had the most growth. She had a true catharsis by the end where Josh had a slight realization. The premise is amazing, and I think the authors did a great job of making it seem normal. There was nothing too drastic; that I love. They didn’t bring science into it because the idea was too unexplainable so they left it as a phenomenon and let the characters make the story. Their voices were very distinct and recognizable. Granted, it’s two different authors, but still, the flow of the story and the flipping of characters each chapter was smooth and unhindering.

The ending, oh the ending; it was simple, natural, easy, and wonderful. There was no big bang or open ending. It simply ended.

Bumped by Megan McCafferty - Book Review

Bumped is controversial. I was worried that it would be crass. The premise is that a virus causes humanity to lose fertility after age 18. Sixteen and Pregnant, in other words. Teenagers are selling babies, both as amateurs and as pros - paid up front. Melody is one of a set of twins, and she is set up for a very expensive pro contract, but she hasn't been paired yet. Harmony, her sister, was raised separately in a very religious community and doesn't believe in sex before marriage.

The first few chapters were a bit of a jolt. The slang was confusing, Melody and Harmony were very difficult to tell apart, but the world was fully formed and I just needed time to settle in. Once I understood the world I was sucked in. It wasn't girly and silly or too R-rated and sexified.

The ending. My normal pet peeve. It closed somewhat, but was so open-ended. When are YA writers going to stop writing books like they are just a way to sell a series and make more money? Writing is an art, books are complete stories. The art of finishing a story but making me fall in love with your writing so that I will read more of your books is your goal.

Have you read this one? What did you think? Controversial or normal YA?

Delirium by Lauren Oliver - Book Review

Delirium by Lauren Oliver is a testament to what we are as humans. What makes us tick? According to this book, it's love. And in the future someone figured out how to cure us of love.

Lauren Oliver is extremely perceptive about humanity as whole. A few lines:

"You know you can't be happy unless you're unhappy sometimes, right?" (Page 21 Kindle)

"No wonder the regulators decided on the segregation of boys and girls: Otherwise, it would have been a nightmare, this feeling angry and self-conscious and confused and annoyed all the time." (Page 57 Kindle)

She brings all kinds of things from our world into the mix including blogs (or isn't that what she's describing as banned here?):

"...people can't just write whatever, or post things themselves, or write up false information or 'inflammatory opinions'..." (Page 93 Kindle)

The characters have traits that make them seem extremely human. Like how Lena, the main character, has gum wrappers and paper clips and random junk in her locker and her backpack. Or when Lena says something that she didn't consciously realize until it's coming out of her mouth. I do that all the time.

The change in Lena is gradual. She is gung-ho for being cured. It's all she's ever known and it's safe. But her best friend, and so many other circumstances, make her realize that safe doesn't mean best.

It ended without ending. I hate open endings. I know it's a sequel, but I want to be hooked by the writing not by the fact that the story isn't finished. That was my one and only pet peeve.

Have you read it? What did you think?