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In: Romance (YA), Supernatural & Horror (YA), Young Adult Book Reviews
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  The book Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater is a romantic love story about how two people will do anything to keep each other. I like how the author  portrays Grace’s character in the story as a normal teenager. Until she gets attacked by wolves, like any real-life situation if you live near the woods.  I really liked how that one wolf saved her because he loved her and then how she saved him at her doorstep. That’s romantic! I think this is one of my favorite love stories that I’ve read so far in the past year. I hope she writes more sequels to this love story or evenRead More →

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I’ll be the first to admit that when I picked up this book I immediately assumed that it would be yet another girl falls in love with mysterious boy who ends up being supernatural in some way (in this case, a werewolf.) I am happy to say that I was very wrong. Kristen Chandler’s debut novel is the story of KJ — a little-bit nerdy, little-bit of a tomboy, 16-year-old girl who lives in the small town of West End, Montana-right on the edge of Yellowstone National Park. Her dad is a fishing guide and works in the local fly shop, and KJ spends herRead More →

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The paranormal romance genre has a steamy new edition in Andrea Cremer’s Nightshade.  Of all the “Twilight-alikes” to date, Cremer’s sexy tale of lust, forbidden love, menacing evil, supernatural wolves, warlocks and ghouls comes the closest to capturing the steamy, angst-filled essence of the Bella-Edward-Jacob triangle and the bone-chilling, otherworldliness of the Volturi, the Cullens, and the Quileute Pack.  Calla Tor is no shrinking violet; she’s the 17 year old alpha of her pack of shape/dimension shifting human/wolves  (known as The Guardians) whose sworn duty is to protect and defend the mission and sacred places of the powerful, secretive, and menacing Keepers.  Calla is bold, strong, and determinedRead More →

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In: Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction (YA), Middle Grade Reviews, Mystery & Suspense, Mystery & Suspense (YA), Romance (YA), Young Adult Book Reviews
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 Sophie Masson’s Elizabethan romantic mystery, The Madman of Venice (Aug 2010), is the perfect companion for a summer trip, poolside escape, or as an enjoyable journey from the summer doldrums. The canals of Venice in 1603 are exciting, mysterious, and dangerous.  Celia, the spunky, smart daughter of a prosperous London merchant, and Ned, her father’s like-able but somewhat stubborn clerk, find themselves quickly caught up in two mysteries: the deadly pirate attacks that have been plaguing English ships; and the search for Sarah Tedeschi, a Jewish girl who has vanished from the Venetian Ghetto after being accused of witchcraft by the powerful Countess of Montemoro. As Celia and Ned, alongRead More →

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In: On the Edge, Young Adult Book Reviews
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You, Charles Benoit’s  highly praised young adult debut (August 2010), will take your breath away.  Youis a painfully realistic rendering of a teen caught in the hell of high school and the downward spiral of his own creation. In middle school, Kyle was engaged, smart ,and on the “right path.” But after a few misstepsand missed opportunities, and all those small, seemingly inconsequential choices, Kyle is a disaffected, angry, disengaged sophomore who doesn’t believe he’s going to amount to much. And the  attitude and image he projects to the outside world doesn’t give anyone else much hope for him either.  It makes for the perfect opportunity to wander into the trap ofRead More →

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Publisher’s Weekly reports… BEA 2010: Bare Truths About Hot YA Titles for Fall By Judith Rosen Jun 04, 2010 Six editors touted their favorite fall teen reads at the YA Editors Buzz panel during BEA with what can best be described as naked passion – the tone set by a story from Jennifer Weis from St. Martin’s about how she came to acquire Infinite Days by debut author Rebecca Maizel.  Weis read the book, about a 500-year-old vampire who chooses to become human again, the day the manuscript arrived from agent Matt Hudson of the William Morris Agency. “There was a lyricism to this author’sRead More →

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The Tension of Opposites, by debut author Kristina McBride, balances on the razor thin line between numerous opposites: pain and relief; expectation and reality; choice and fate; caution and recklessness; love and hate; and selflessness and selfishness. Noelle was abducted from her sleepy Midwestern town two years ago. And ever since, her best friend Tessa’ life has been on hold. Guarded, isolated and basically living in suspended animation, now-sophomore Tess won’t allow herself the life that Noelle can’t have.  Her only outlet and solace has been her love of photography.  When the novel begins, Noelle has escaped her captor and been able to get himRead More →

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In: Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction (YA), Middle Grade Reviews, Multicultural, Multicultural (YA), Young Adult Book Reviews
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2 new YA titles that will release in June explore the challenges of building a new life in America after fleeing the turmoil in the country of one’s childhood.   Inspired by true refugee experiences, these two novels are interesting and thought-provoking explorations of challenge, change, and resilience. The Red Umbrella by debut novelist Christina Diaz Gonzalez is set in 1961, when Lucia’s carefree life in a small Cuban coast town is about to change. She’s 14 and dreams of her school-crush, her 15th birthday celebration, and of one day travelling to Paris.  But when Castro’s revolutionary soldiers come to her town, everything changes: people are arrested and executed; neighbors spy on neighbors; freedomsRead More →

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I just finished reading Ellen Hopkins’ book Tricks and I must say, it is one of the most intense books I have ever cracked open. Being a long term Ellen Hopkins fan, I’ve read all of her previous books and knew without a doubt that this one would be just as intriguing. Tricks is a story about 5 teenagers who fall into the death grips of prostitution for several different reasons. Hopkins did a superb job in making each character come to life and seem as real as someone sitting right next to you. Tricks is filled with so much emotion and heartache that it isRead More →