Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This week's pick is Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard, coming March 8, 2011 from Delacorte.

Summary: It's hard finding beauty in the badlands of Washokey, Wyoming, but 14-year-old Grace Carpenter knows it's not her mother's pageant obsessions, or the cowboy dances adored by her small-town classmates. True beauty is wild-girl Mandarin Ramey: 17, shameless and utterly carefree. Grace would give anything to be like Mandarin.

When they're united for a project, they form an unlikely, explosive friendship, packed with nights spent skinny-dipping in the canal, liberating the town's animal-head trophies, and searching for someplace magic. Grace plays along when Mandarin suggests they run away together. Blame it on the crazy-making wildwinds plaguing their badlands town.

Because all too soon, Grace discovers Mandarin's unique beauty hides a girl who's troubled, broken, and even dangerous. And no matter how hard Grace fights to keep the magic, no friendship can withstand betrayal.

My Thoughts: From the premise alone, we have beauty, explosions (okay, explosive friendships but shh), danger and betrayal. Do we really need anything else to go OMG want? I didn't think so. But oh look, there's skinny-dipping, for those who like that, and plenty of other shenanigans. The cover is eye catching and pretty, but also so simple, though I think it really will speak volumes to the story itself. Overall, I really cannot wait for this one. I love contemporary. I love broken, tormented characters. And I love wild rides. This one seems to have it all.

Book Review: The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

SUMMARY:

Some schools have honor codes.
Others have handbooks.
Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.

Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way--the Themis Way. So when Alex is date raped during her junior year, she has two options: stay silent and hope someone helps her, or enlist the Mockingbirds--a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of their fellow peers.

In this honest, page-turning account of a teen girl's struggle to stand up for herself, debut author Daisy Whitney reminds readers that if you love something or someone--especially yourself--you fight for it.

OPINION: 5 STARS

The Short Version:
Emotional and gripping, The Mockingbirds is a stunning blend of a horrible situation and a private school set up. Opening the morning after Alex is date-raped, Whitney hits the reader with intrigue and a connection from the start. The sense of helplessness, blame and guilt many victims often feel are carried throughout the book, portraying with gutting realism how easily one event can seep into and taint everything else in the victim’s life. With a steadily paced plot and undercurrents of seriousness without being constantly overbearing to keep a still light nature, this is a great read for many ages.

The Extended Version:
Alex is an incredibly realistic teenage character with a succinct voice. There is a very obvious dissonance between the girl she was before the incident and who she found herself becoming after. A big part of her struggle and development was finding a way to unite the two parts and Whitney does a remarkable job handling this. Alex is bold in a way unknown to herself and a free thinker with a very strong mind. She shows tremendous personal growth throughout the book, both as a result of the date-rape and in response to other events and people.

There are several supporting characters throughout this book, from Alex’s roommates/best friends to the Mockingbirds to Carter and his friends, Whitney has built a strong set of people who help carry the book in a bold way. Even small characters fill big roles and many hold their own quirks and reasons to stay memorable. The alliances are cast in stunning ways and secrets about several characters have lasting, striking impacts.

Whitney’s writing ability is one of the most notable aspects of this book, strengthening not only the characters but the plot as well. She has some clever and unique ways to describe things, straying from usual euphemisms, analogies and mannerisms. Her writing is fluid and holds hints of lyricism and Whitney infuses a surprisingly easy blend of teenage with forced adult in Alex’s mentality and voice. In the midst of the pain, fear and frustration Alex finds in her situation, there are subtle thoughts and phrases that remind the reader- and maybe Alex herself- she is still in high school.

Also noteworthy is how boldly the entire situation plays out. Even after finding the strength to start standing up not only for herself but other girls, Alex still questions and second guesses not only her current actions but those of that night. The simplest event or thought will suddenly transport her back to that night and as the book progresses, Alex gets back more bits and pieces of that night. The reader is as constantly reminded of what has transpired as Alex is, painfully and brutally forced back even in the simplest and happiest of times. Her view of herself is damaged and the overall list of things impacted and ways she needs to change her way of thinking continues to grow throughout the book.

Pushing The Mockingbirds even further is the vigilante nature of the group. At a school that holds its students to such a high standard of perfection the students can seemingly do wrong, justice and a code of conduct fall through the cracks. Whitney blends a student judicial system into the novel seamlessly, even making it open as public knowledge. The overall system is remarkably well thought out and put together and unfolds to the reader at a steady pace. The strong tie-ins of music, Shakespeare, science, To Kill A Mockingbird, and many other notable aspects also help to build the overall world.

Whitney has packed a powerful punch with this book, keeping enough gripping detail and emotion to make her strong point to the reader while offering plenty of relief and enjoyment as well. While some scenes are lighthearted, others are gutting and portray with a raw realism the horror of not only experiencing and remembering such an event but other outcomes and lashings as a result. She has done a fantastic job blending rough and harsh with sweet and naïve, and strengthens everything with her bold, inherent writing ability, the small twists and steady flashbacks, and distinct, memorable characters. The Mockingbirds will remind readers what it’s like to be alone, seemingly without options and scared- and to push past that and take a stand.

Details:
Source: ARC received for review from publisher
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (November 2, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316090530
ISBN-13: 978-0316090537

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.This week's teaser comes from Fearscape (The Devouring #3) by Simon Holt.

"But then, as if from very far away,she heard something. It was hard to discern over her racing heartbeat, but slowly it grew louder." - 38

SUMMARY:

The Vours: evil, demonic beings that inhabit human bodies on Sorry Night, the darkest hours of the Winter Solstice.

It's been a year since Reggie first discovered the Vours, and the Winter Solstice is approaching once again. It will be another night of unspeakable horror for those unlucky enough to be taken by the Vours, because this time, she won't be able to stop them. The Vours have imprisoned Reggie in a psychiatric hospital, where she is subjected to a daily routine of unfathomably sadistic experiments. Her life is a living Hell, but she won't give up. They attacked her brother. They killed her friend. And Reggie will never stop fighting back.

Book Review: Trance by Linda Gerber

SUMMARY:

Ashlyn Greenfield has always known when bad things are going to happen. Each time that familiar tingling at the back of her neck begins, she knows what's to come; a trance. She's pulled in, blindsided, an unwilling witness to a horrible upcoming event. But she's never been able to stop it; not even when the vision was of her mother's fatal car accident. When soulful Jake enters Ashlyn's life, she begins having trances about another car accident. And as her trances escalate, one thing becomes clear: it's up to her to save Jake from near-certain death.


OPINION: 4 STARS

The Short Version:
With a great twist on the vision scenario, strong characters, and a quick dive into the plot, Trance makes for both a fun and intense read. Ashlyn's way of life is different from those around her, apart from her sister, but she is suddenly more alone than ever. Struggling to deal and learning to cope, things start amping up in Ashlyn's life in surprising ways. With smooth writing and a well paced plot, Trance is well worth the read.

The Extended Version:
Ashlyn has a strength that seems hidden but has strong undercurrents throughout the book. She misses her mother and is racked with guilt over her death, struggles to make some kind of connection to her now distant father, and strives to understand why her sister- who also has trances- left. With years of experience telling her to continue to keep her distance from people but a burning need for some kind of friendship outside of her best friend, Ashlyn finds companionship in surprising ways. She has her flaws but they are minimal, and the trances are the primary ruler of her life. Ashlyn shows tremendous determination and personal growth throughout the story.

Jake is attractive and funny, and deep into his music. There is a quick connection with Ashlyn that stems not from his looks, but more from the way they interact and his immediate sense of caring. The romance angle of this book was well done, mixing in at the right times, playing into the plot in an important way, and adding some extra intrigue while not overtaking everything and running the show. Jake is likable and the reason Ashlyn falls for him is easy to see.

Gina is a very great addition to Ashlyn's life, jaded in her own way but having an even bigger personal, inner strength than even Ashlyn has at the start of the book. She has an interesting way of viewing things, and is both fierce and loyal for the things that are important to her. Her interest in numerology also adds a certain element without being simply there for convenience, and the overall interaction between Gina, Jake and Ashlyn is well written.

The plot is basic in nature but plays out in a seamless fashion. More details about the trances are not only revealed to the reader, but to Ashlyn as well, but Gerber continues to keep some things hidden until the right moment. The trance aspect of this story, from how they happen to the deeper portions of it is intricate and well done, with the level of thought and detail Gerber has put into it coming through quite strongly. Though some parts of the book were predictable, there are a few surprising, well handled twists and several intense, raw scenes. The climax is almost explosive in nature, before winding down and slipping into an interesting final outcome and ending.

Details:
Source: ARC received for review from author
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Speak; Original edition (October 14, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0142414158
ISBN-13: 978-0142414156

Book Review: Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan

SUMMARY:

Nastasya has spent the last century living as a spoiled, drugged-out party girl. She feels nothing and cares for no one. But when she witnesses her best friend, a Dark Immortal, torture a human, she realizes something's got to change. She seeks refuge at a rehab for wayward immortals, where she meets the gorgeous, undeniably sexy Reyn, who seems inexplicably linked to her past.

Nastasya finally begins to deal with life, and even feels safe--until the night she learns that someone wants her dead.


OPINION: 2 STARS

The Short Version:
Interesting in premise, Immortal Beloved held quite a bit of promise but admittedly fell short for me. With a five hundred year old character who mostly just hasn’t matured, the feeling, in my opinion, of one long tantrum, and little overall explanation, I had a hard time staying focused despite the addictive nature of this book. The characters, on a whole, were intriguing, each with their own fallacies and quirks, and the rehab aspect of Nastasya’s escape adds a nice element. Bits of intrest and development are scattered throughout, and in a way, I couldn’t put the book down, but in the end, I had a hard time overall with this one.


The Extended Version:
Nastasya is difficult to like, selfish in substantial ways and naïve in others. Admittedly, I had a hard time understanding why the single event that triggered her flight was so significant, but it made for a good starting point of the book and was wrenching for a reader. Her emotions were wild throughout the book, particularly after she began to remember more of her past that she had blocked out. Her story is well built, particularly the parts she has fought to forget, and the revealing of them holds a large portion of this book. The nuances about her are explained, and that aspect of the story was very well done and enjoyable.

Reyn starts off as a jerk but holds quite a bit of intrigue because of it. Potentially falling into the jerky romantic interest cliché, his past intertwines with Nastasya’s in unexpected ways, though I did feel the actual nature of this ended up being anticlimactic given the build up and reactions. He is “god’s gift to women” and seems to both know it and be oblivious to it, and he has a surprising intensity about him in everything he does. He most definitely gives off creeper vibes, but has his own motivations and reasons.

The interactions between Reyn and Nastasya are comical and frustrating, as well as intriguing. I did enjoy many of their interactions, and part of me cheered for them as a couple while the other was determined to find out the truth lurking behind their seemingly instantly distaste for each other. I appreciate this aspect of the story, but it wasn't the most compelling angle for me.

Many parts of the book were repetitive and lacking in excitement, and I hard a very hard time connecting to Nastasya in any substantial way. Mostly, I found her to be petty and selfish, and immature despite her age. It wasn’t that immortals stayed in a teenage mindset, but that this specific immature simply acted like a bratty kid rather than an adult. Though she did go through a great amount of personal development, that was about all that was achieved in this book. Though there were a few lingering, intriguing questions at the close of this book, I didn’t feel it was enough for me, personally.

Though this book fell short for me for several reasons, I would still encourage others to read it, especially those who really like the different takes on immortality. The world building for that aspect was well done, and the truth about Nastasya herself is fantastic. The writing, while not striking, didn’t detract from the book and did add a certain element to Nastasya.

Details:
Source: ARC received for review from publisher
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (September 7, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316035920
ISBN-13: 978-0316035927

In My Mailbox

Books. I got books! Hooray! Which is the point of this post, I know. So let's get to it!

For Review:
Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting
Jumpstart the World by Catherine Ryan Hyde
The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
I Am Nuchu by Brenda Stanley
Firebrand by Gillian Phillips
The Society of the Pink Crystal Ball by Risa Green
(Huge thanks to Kimberly Derting + Harper Collins, Catherine Ryan Hyde + Knopf, Little Brown, WestSide Books, Gillian Phillips and Planned TV Arts)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.