Reviews: Janet Gurtler's (142.) If I Tell and (143.) I'm Not Her

I have two reviews for you today--and both are contemporary YA fiction from Janet Gurtler. I also have a guest post from Janet! Now, how to fit it all into one post...

I'm Not Her was released in May, and tells the story of a girl whose sudden rise in popularity unfortunately coincides with her sister's cancer diagnosis.

"For the first time in my life, I didn't feel envy..."

Tess is the exact opposite of her beautiful, athletic sister. And that's okay. Kristina is the sporty one, Tess is the smart one, and they each have their place. Until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly Tess is the center of the popular crowd, everyone eager for updates. There are senior boys flirting with her. But, the smiles of her picture perfect family are cracking and her sister could be dying. Now Tess has to fill a new role: the strong one. Because if she doesn't hold it together, who will?

Janet Gurtler tests the bonds of sisterhood in this moving debut that readers of Jodi Picoult and Sarah Dessen will savor.

Title: I'm Not Her
Author: Janet Gurtler
ISBN-13: 9781402256363
Paperback: 285 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Sourcebooks

drey's thoughts:
Janet Gurtler's I'm Not Her is a moving story about a fifteen-year-old dealing with her older sister's cancer. And if dealing with a life-changing (and potentially life-threatening) illness isn't enough, Tess also has to deal with her parents acting like completely delusional dorks about it. (I totally understand that they were having a hard time with the diagnosis; however in my eyes it doesn't excuse their leaving everything in the hands of a fifteen-year-old because they "couldn't handle it"--they're the adults.)

And then there's school. School, where every one of Kristina's friends keep asking Tess where Kristina is and why she isn't in school (delusional parents didn't want anyone to know). School, where Tess has to skip class to accompany her mother to the hospital for Kristina's treatments (again, without being able to tell why). School, where Tess is now noticed (see above); and the other kids are making up stories about her and Kristina because they aren't getting any information. Not easy for a freshman to deal with, that's for sure.

I liked Janet's portrayal of Tess. She's resentful of all the negatives affecting her, and feels guilty for that resentment. She wants her life to stay the way it was, but she knows it's most likely temporary, whereas her sister's life is irrevocably changed. There's nowhere for her to go with this, without feeling like she's selfish. This is YA drama and angst as it should be.

drey's rating: Excellent!

If I Tell explores the ramifications of keeping secrets--your best friend's, your mother's, her boyfriend's--and the mess it can make of your own life...

Jasmine Evans knows one thing for sure... people make mistakes. After all, she is one. Jaz is the result of a onenight stand between a black football player and a blonde princess. Having a young mother who didn't raise her, a father who wants nothing to do with her and living in a small-minded town where she's never fit in hasn't been easy. But she's been surviving. Until she sees her mom's new boyfriend making out with her own best friend. When do you forgive people for being human or give up on them forever?

Title: If I Tell
Author: Janet Gurtler
ISBN-13: 9781402261039
Paperback: 244 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Sourcebooks

drey's thoughts:
Jaz is seventeen, and the only biracial kid in her small town. At least, as far as she knows. She doesn't have any friends in school, and is thrown into a whirlpool of emotions when she sees her best friend Lacey making out with her mom's boyfriend. And that whirlpool gets deeper and wider when she finds out her mom's pregnant. What a mess!

Jaz can't confide in anyone--the only two people she's ever felt comfortable talking to have betrayed her. So she keeps things bottled up, only to find out that she has too many emotions fizzing inside her all at the same time. And her anger leaks out in spurts and splashes as she lashes out at her (former) best friend, at Simon, and even at her mom.

The emotional roller-coaster Jaz is on pulls you along as it goes up (new boy) and down (facing Simon or Lacey) and up (new friend at school) and down (her mom's emotional state), so much so that you wonder when she's going to let it all out. Which will happen, of course. The only question is when. And where. And who's going to get hurt in the process... (ok, that's more than one question)

This is an addictive read--you can't put it down until you find out how Jaz fares. Excellent teen read covering topics far and wide, including racism, bullying, depression, self-identity, and trust.

drey's rating: Excellent!

Have you read either books? What did you think?

Review: 125. Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep...

Jennifer Estep writes one of my favorite urban fantasy series, The Elemental Assassins, and here she is with a brand new YA offering. Ok, so maybe it's not quite brand new, since it's been out since July...

Title: Touch of Frost (Mythos Academy #1)
Author: Jennifer Estep
ISBN-13: 9780758266927
e-ARC: 278 pages
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp., 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Jennifer Estep

drey's thoughts:
I loved the mythology weaved into Touch of Frost. Sure, I'm a bit rusty on all the players, but I used to read everything (and I mean everything) I could get my hands on that had any hint of myths--never mind where they originated, I wanted 'em.

Gwen Frost is seventeen and a Gypsy. She's at the Mythos Academy against her wishes and skulks around the other students--Spartans, Valkyries, Amazons, etc.--in between classes. Being the only Gypsy there does make one tend to lurk alone. The first part of the book is all new-girl stuff: not fitting in, covering the cliques, and angst over having to be there in the first place. Plus how easily she gets off the grounds to steal visits with her grandmother...

Then Gwen stumbles into stuff that's way more than she's prepared to handle--by herself anyway. And finds out that not all the mean girls are actually mean, and not all the cool dudes are too cool to hang out with a Gypsy. And that's the easy stuff... She also finds out the gods are real, they're not above messing with the world, and some gods are definitely more benign than others. Death happens to be all too real at Mythos Academy...

I liked Gwen, even when I think she's sometimes too dang stubborn for her own good. I like her friend Daphne, who's as snarky as the best of them. I am intrigued by the story, and want to find out what Logan's thinking, and where Gwen goes from here.

drey's rating: Pick it up! Especially if you like your boarding-school YA novels wrapped in mythological figures and good-vs-evil intrigue.

Have you read Touch of Frost? What did you think?

Review: 113. The Magnolia League by Katie Crouch...

This is yet another title whose cover caught my eye, and it was one of a horde of books that made it to my house from the library in the past few weeks...

Title: The Magnolia League
Author: Katie Crouch
ISBN-13: 9780316078498
Hardcover: 348 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Waukesha Public Library

drey's thoughts:  
Alexandra Lee is sixteen years old and orphaned when her mother's van goes off a cliff. Two months later, she is moved to Savannah, Georgia, to live with her grandmother. Going from hippy to southern belle is a culture shock to say the least, and she doesn't intend to acquire any of the seemingly-effortless gentility that her grandmother expects of her.

Then she finds out that not everything that glitters is gold, and all the gentility in the world doesn't hide the fact that her grandmother's social club has its fingers in more than a few questionable things--including a partnership with hoodoo practitioners. And now she's expected to not only be one of them, but eventually lead them...

Is she strong enough to withstand the pressure to conform? Or will this not-quite-rail-thin sassy hippy girl become lost in the glory--real and imagined--of being one of the Magnolia League?

I like Alex, except when she's all wishy-washy about a boy. A girl who stands up for her vintage t-shirts and ripped jeans in the face of Dolce & Gabbana and Marc Jacobs does not do wishy-washy; she kicks butt with her army boots or smart-mouth witticisms. I like her new friend Dexter and I even like Hayes and Madison--the debutantes assigned to get Alex into the local scene. I'm not sure I like the Buzzards much (what a name, huh?), and I'm definitely sure I don't like her grandmother all.

The pace starts off leisurely and hardly picks up until you get to the end, where Alex finds out just how devious her grandmother is, and has to decide whether she'll give it all up--for the boy she's pretty sure she loves, or for the mother she's lost. Up till the end, this was just another story about another teenager who finds out that the world around her holds many secrets. But with that ending, I'm waiting to see what Katie Crouch comes up with next for Alex. And what repercussions will flow from her decision.

drey's rating: Pick it up!

Have you read The Magnolia League? What did you think?

Review: 107. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare...

I couldn't wait to get to Clockwork Angel, but it took me a while to finally get around to picking it up from the library...

Title: Clockwork Angel (Infernal Devices #1)
Author: Cassandra Clare
ISBN-13: 9781416975861
Hardcover: 476 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Waukesha Public Library  

drey's thoughts:  
I enjoyed Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series, and LOVED Clockwork Angel's cover. I meant to pick it up when it came out, but finally (yay!) got it. I guess I was waiting till it got closer to the release for Clockwork Prince...

Clockwork Angel is the story of Tessa Gray and how she gets involved with a group of Nephilim--the Shadowhunters. When her aunt dies, Tessa's brother sends for her to join him in London. Unbeknownst to her, she's got powers. Where from, she has no clue. But once in London she's kidnapped and forced to learn to manifest it. When she finds out that it's all so she can be married to The Magister, she decides to escape.

And runs right into the arms of the Shadowhunters. Will is gorgeous and utterly rude. Jem is handsome and nice. You know who she's attracted to then, right? But never mind that. The story is crazy busy with intrigue, nefarious plots, and clockwork automatons--who has time for romance? *wink*

Clockwork Angel is a fabulous book with characters you'd love (to love and hate) and a story you can't put down. A must for those who love young adult steampunk!

drey's rating: Excellent!

Have you read Clockwork Angel? What did you think?

Review: 104. The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa...

I've been meaning to get to this third installment of Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series, but hadn't had the time. Luckily for me, I finally put some time aside to inhale it!

Title: The Iron Queen (Iron Fey #3)
Author: Julie Kagawa
ISBN-13: 9780373210183
Paperback: 358 pages
Publisher: Harlequin, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Waukesha Public Library

drey's thoughts:
Poor Meghan. Yeah, she's exiled. And yeah, so's Ash. But hey, at least they have each other. And she can go home... Right?

Wrong. On so many fronts. The false king has declared war on the Nevernever, and Summer and Winter both come together (Hah! Bet you never expected to see those words together!) and approach Meghan for help. After all, she's the only one who's ever squeaked out alive after going toe to toe with the Iron Fey. Never mind that she may not survive this time...

But how can she say "no," especially when Mab offers to revoke Ash's exile in return? So off she goes--with Ash, Puck, and Grimalkin in tow--into the Iron Kingdom, where they find excitement, adventure, and Iron-poisoned landscape. How will she find the false king, much less defeat the Iron army? Especially when she doesn't even know who the false king is...

I really enjoyed the storyline, and I really like Meghan. Ash more than Puck (he was quite a brat here). And this series wouldn't be quite the same without Grim. This is a wonderful addition to the Iron Fey series, and I cannot wait for The Iron Knight (due in October!).

drey's rating: Excellent!

Have you read The Iron Queen or Julie's Iron Fey series? What did you think?

Review: 103. Die for Me by Amy Plum...

Die for Me's cover caught my eye, and it was finally my turn to bring it home from the library...

Title: Die for Me
Author: Amy Plum
ISBN-13: 9780062004017
Hardcover: 341 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Waukesha Public Library

drey's thoughts:
This is the second YA novel I've read this year that's set in Paris. I love Paris! Ok, enough about me. On to the book.

Amy Plum's Die for Me is a romantic story about a girl who's lost her parents, and the boy she meets and falls in love with. Only thing is, he's not quite exactly a boy... What is he, you ask? Well, that's part of the fun of reading the book, so I'm not going to spill. Instead, I'm going to tell you that I really like Kate. So she's not the strongest girl out there, but what do you expect from someone who's lost her parents and so suddenly at that? She's still smart and kinda sassy, and she's definitely not whiny or angsty.

She's slowly coming out of her self-imposed shell when she sees Vincent, and wonders about him--his mysterious appearances, his friends, his everything... Then she actually meets him. And finds that sometimes a boy is so worth the trouble--especially this one, who comes with buckets of it.

The storyline runs smoothly, the plot has no hiccups, and you'll enjoy Amy Plum's take on  good-vs-bad. The characters are well-drawn, the conflicts explained... And the love story is so sweet--even with the slightly cheesy parts--that it'll take you back to when you were a teenager dreaming of romance and boys. Pick this up if you like romantic YA urban fantasy.

drey's rating: Excellent!

Have you read Die for Me? What did you think?

96. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White...

The first thing I noticed about Kiersten White's Paranormalcy was the cover.  So I added it to my library hold list.

Title: Paranormalcy (Paranormalcy #1)
Author: Kiersten White
ISBN-13: 9780061985843
Hardcover: 335 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Waukesha Public Library

drey's thoughts:
Evie is a typical sixteen-year-old.  She's sassy and snarky, carries a pink Taser around, and works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency tackling and tagging paranormals.  She's also the only one who can see past the glamour that paranormals wear.  Makes her pretty handy to have around, especially if you're ICAP...

One day, someone breaks into the ICAP facility where Evie lives.  He's captured, but won't say why he's there.  Evie's intrigued, naturally.  And then she starts dreaming of words, words from a prophecy unknown to her.  Then something starts killing the paranormals, and next thing you know Evie's on the run for her life.  Who can she turn to?  Where can she go?  What can she do?  She's not going to just roll over and die--she just met a boy for crying out loud!

Paranormalcy is cute and fun, because Evie is cute and fun.  Never mind that there's actually a plot and tension and action, everything flies quickly and flows nicely because the characters and their interactions are smooth and interesting.  You'll enjoy hanging out with Evie as she figures out that special is totally overrated, real-life boys are much more fun than TV characters, and siblings can be a total drain.

drey's rating: Excellent!  I can't believe this is a debut, but hey book #2, Supernaturally, is out soon!

Have you read Paranormalcy?  What did you think?

95. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins...

This one's been on my TBR for a while, and I finally picked it up from the library.

Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
ISBN-13: 9780525423270
Hardcover: 372 pages
Publisher: Penguin, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Waukesha Public Library

drey's thoughts:
Anna and the French Kiss is a lovely story about a girl who meets a boy and how their friendship evolves into something more.  Of course, this being set in a high school (even if it is in Paris), there's the requisite angst and my-friend-also-likes-the-same-boy drama.  Not that it's drowning in angst and drama, because if that were the case I wouldn't have liked it as much as I did.

I liked the cast of characters in Anna and the French Kiss, especially Anna.  She's bright, funny, and nice.  Etienne is witty and charming, and such a romantic.  The two make a lovely couple, if only they could just get to the point where they were a couple.  Then again, if it was that easy, this would be a novella instead of a heartwarming romantic read.

drey's rating: Excellent!  Add it to your summer reading if you like a good boy-meets-girl story.

Have you read Anna and the French Kiss? What did you think?

Review: 94. Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton...

I'd wanted to pick this up since I saw the cover, and it's been waiting patiently on my shelf since it came from the library... I'm glad I got to it before it had to go back.

Title: Darkness Becomes Her
Author: Kelly Keaton
ISBN-13: 9781442409248
Hardcover: 273 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Waukesha Public Library

drey's thoughts:
I really enjoyed the combination of mythology, paranormal, and post-apocalyptic New Orleans in Kelly Keaton's (aka Kelly Gay) first YA urban fantasy. The heroine, Ari, is a seventeen-year-old orphan looking for answers--who's her birth mother? Why did she give Ari up? And what exactly is it that makes her so weird?

What she finds takes her to "New 2", the now privately-owned former city of vampires and magic where misfits gather and an ancient Goddess lurks. And Ari discovers there's a curse on her line that is passed from mother to daughter, from forever and a day ago. Determined to be the one who beats the curse, Ari makes a stand.  Only, is she strong enough to win?  Especially when she doesn't know what she is, and her opponent is a very very strong Goddess?

If you're a fan of the genre, you'll love Darkness Becomes Her.  Ari is stubborn and headstrong, and refuses to budge on her principles.  The band of misfits she finds in New 2 are basically background, except for Sebastian (the boy--there's always a boy) and Violet, a little girl with fangs and a pet alligator.  Or was it a crocodile?  I forget.  But I love Violet.

The action starts at the beginning, and doesn't stop till the end, when Ari once again stands up for herself--and makes enough sense to sway the adults to her way of looking at things.  Along the way she learns a bit about trust, and a bit about love.  I will definitely pick up the sequel--A Beautiful Evil comes out in February 2012.

drey's rating:  Excellent!  But what else would you expect from the author of the Charlie Madigan series?  *wink*

Have you read Darkness Becomes Her?  What did you think?

More stuff:
Kelly Keaton's website

Review: 91. Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick...

It took me a long time to get to this, but I had to--Silence is coming out soon! *grin*

Title: Crescendo (Hush, Hush #2)
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
ISBN-13: 9781416989431
Hardcover: 427 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Waukesha Public Library

drey's thoughts:
Nora Grey is not having a good summer.  Sure, her boyfriend Patch is pretty awesome (even if her mom or her bff don't think so), but not only does she have to go to school, she's paired up with her arch-enemy Marcie Millar in class.  Then her mom tries to set her up with her childhood friend who's moved back into town.  And she's seeing her father around town.  Definitely weird--he's dead, after all.

When Patch starts distancing himself from Nora, she can't figure out if it's because of the archangels' threat, or because he's dumping her for Marcie.  Not that she knows why Marcie hates her guts anyway.  Confused and emotional, Nora decides to break off with Patch and starts hanging out with Scott (the childhood friend), only to find out that there's a gang of Nephilim who're up to no good...  And Scott's one of them.  Not only that, but she also finds out that her father's not who she thought he was.

There are a lot of twists and turns in this follow-up to Hush, Hush.  And quite a few revelations as well.  Along with the cliffhanger ending, I'm sure you'll be waiting to pick up Silence with me if you read this (or have read it)...

drey's rating:  Excellent!

Have you read Crescendo?  What did you think?

Review: 80. Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman...

I've wanted to pick up a copy of Eon since I received the sequel in the mail. I'm glad I finally did, this one is worth the read!

Title: Eon: Dragoneye Reborn
Author: Alison Goodman
ISBN-13: 9780670062270
Hardcover: 531 pages
Publisher: Penguin, 2008
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Waukesha Public Library

drey's thoughts:
Set in an Asian-inspired world, Alison Goodman's Eon: Dragoneye Reborn is a story about a girl from the salt mines who's hidden her gender and suffered through humiliation to be able to stand before the dragons on this New Year's Day.  To be able to hope that the ascending dragon chooses her. 

But the trial on this New Year's Day is fraught with danger of the political and ambitious kind.  When power is available, power is sought.  And the newly-ascended Dragoneye Lord definitely seeks power.  Eon attracts both his suspicion and his scheming when she is selected, not by the ascending Rat Dragon, but by the dragon that rules them all--the long-missing Mirror Dragon.  But there's a problem--Eon didn't bind with her dragon, and therefore cannot control her dragon's powers.  What will she do when the Emperor clearly marks her as his own and involves her in court intrigue?

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn is an excellent fantasy adventure that focuses on the characters and yet has action and drama galore.  I could not put it down once I started, and my 8-year-old has expressed interest in the story (more for the dragons than anything else, I'd bet).

drey's rating: Excellent! I cannot wait to find out how Eona's story continues...

Have you read Eon? What did you think?

Review: 79. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher...

I've wanted to pick up Catherine Fisher's Incarceron since I saw the cover.  Well, I know I'm slow, but I finally got to it!

Title: Incarceron (Incarceron #1)
Author: Catherine Fisher
ISBN-13: 9780803733961
Hardcover: 442 pages
Publisher: Penguin, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Waukesha Public Library

drey's thoughts:
Incarceron is a story of a boy stuck in a prison and knows he came from outside (even if nobody believes him).  It is also a story of a girl whose whole life has been for one purpose and one purpose only--to further her father's ambitions.

Finn doesn't fit in with the rest of the Comitatus.  The only reason they keep him around (i.e. alive) is because he's believed to be a seer, and he definitely has the expected fits.  Then Finn finds a key, and has flashes of life outside Incarceron--his life outside Incarceron.  So off he goes to find the way out.  Accompanying him are his oathbrother Keiro, the "medicine man" Gildas, and former slave-girl Attia.  And then Finn "meets" Claudia.

Daughter of the Warden of Incarceron and betrothed to the heir to the Realm, Claudia has lived a pampered life yet she lives it in fear of displeasing her father.  So how can she tell him she doesn't want this marriage? Then Claudia makes a few important discoveries--Finn among them--and decides to take matters into her own hands. 

Incarceron's storyline is engaging and captivating.  Finn is likable (he's the hero, after all), and his companions provide an excellent foil for his character.  Claudia I really liked.  Brought up to do as she's told, she still manages to do her own thing while playing obedient daughter.  And when push comes to shove, she stands on the side of right and is willing to prove it.  Huzzah for the girl with chutzpah!

drey's rating: Excellent!  I will be reading the sequel, Sapphique, in the not-too-distant future. I hope!

Review: 68. The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge...

I picked this out because the cover called to me. There's such a haunting look to the cover girl that I had to find out what she's all about...

Title: The Iron Thorn (Iron Codex #1)
Author: Caitlin Kittredge
ISBN-13: 9780385738293
Hardcover: 492 pages
Publisher: Random House, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Waukesha Public Library

drey's thoughts:
Caitlin Kittredge's The Iron Thorn is a YA steampunk/horror/fantasy set in the city of Lovecraft, where the Engine grinds all to dust and the necrovirus is blamed for the rampant madness and fantastical creatures that roam the nights. Aoife Grayson is about to turn sixteen, and everyone's watching to see if she'll succumb to the madness as her mother and brother did. Even her best friend Cal.

Then Aoife receives a letter from her brother Conrad, telling her to go to their father's estate in Arkham. So she sets off--Cal in tow--to find her brother.

I really enjoyed this first in Kittredge's Iron Codex series. There are airships and clockworks; faeries, elves, and ghouls; hideously scary monsters; and adventure galore along with the requisite time constraint. The world is fascinating, the storytelling crisp and descriptive. And of course, the numerous references to Lovecraft and Arkham tickled my fancy. Not because I've read his works (shame on me!), but because I've played Arkham Horror so many times that the monsters that show up remind me of the game. Yes, I'm a geek...

In addition to the above, I like Aoife. She's brave (going off to find her brother) yet scared (of succumbing to the madness, or failing in her quest), honorable (stands by her friends), and honest. And when she finds out she might've made a mistake, she sets off to set things right. What's not to like?

I am looking forward to the sequel--there is a sequel, right?

drey's rating: Excellent!

Review: 67. Outside In by Maria V. Snyder...

I loved Maria V. Snyder's Inside Out, so when the sequel came out, I had to pick it up.

Title: Outside In (Insiders #2)
Author: Maria V. Snyder
ISBN-13: 9780373210114
Paperback: 326 pages
Publisher: Harlequin, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Waukesha Public Library

drey's thoughts:
The sheep have won their revolution, and Trella's taken a step back to let others run things on Inside--she's busy exploring the Expanse. But things don't magically change, and people still aren't happy. You'd think after all she's done for them, they'd be grateful, pick up the slack, and leave her in peace...

Instead, the scrubs aren't doing any work because they don't think the uppers are. The Committee can't agree on anything. And someone is sabotaging Inside. The thing is, nobody knows why... Until they figure out that there are others Outside, and they're trying to stage a takeover. Who are these Outsiders? Why do they want Inside? And who's helping them? Trella has no choice but to investigate, only this time she can't be sure who's trustworthy...

I didn't like Outside In as much as I liked Inside Out. Trella was brave and unwavering in Inside Out, and it seemed like she'd abdicated responsibility in Outside In. Just because you think others are more qualified to do something, doesn't mean you don't step up if nobody's actually doing anything. That's just an excuse to avoid the potential of failure, and it put me off Trella for most of Outside In. She does redeem herself by the end, which is the reason I'll pick up the next book if there's one.

drey's rating: Pick it up if you want to find out more about this Inside that's traveling through space.

Review: 66. Divergent by Veronica Roth...

I said I was on a roll, right? Well, I was not wrong! If you liked Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games, you'll love Divergent!

Title: Divergent (#1 of a trilogy-to-be)
Author: Veronica Roth
ISBN-13: 9780062024022
Hardcover: 487 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Waukesha Public Library

drey's thoughts:
Beatrice Prior is about to turn sixteen, and has to make a choice--one that will define her life, her friends and family, her future. Growing up in the Abnegation faction means the first part of her life was spent being selfless and serving others. Not that she's great at it, but still. The other four factions are now open to recruits, as it is. And Beatrice has to decide whether to stay in her faction with her family and friends, or find a faction that is a better fit for her.

She chooses. And the next part of her life becomes extremely complicated--nobody's ever told that there's an initiation process to survive. Yes, survive. Because initiation is really just a nice label covering a dangerously competitive hazing ritual.

Renaming herself Tris, Beatrice now has to figure out who's friend or foe--which isn't too hard to do, actually--and remember to hide her true nature. As initiation progresses, Tris finds out that her faction isn't all it's cracked up to be and that some of the faction leaders are planning to stage a coup against Abnegation. By the time all the pieces fall into place, it's almost too late to do anything. But she's Tris, she loves her family, and she'll do anything she can to save them.

Tris reminds me a lot of Katniss Aberdeen. They grow up in a future society where your faction/district determines your whole life. Here, you at least have the option to switch factions, but most don't. The government isn't covered much here, but it seems to be more benevolent than the Capitol. And while she's not fighting for her life à la the gladiators, there are still those who'd kill her, just for being her.

There's no triangle here (sorry guys, no team buttons). Just a girl and a boy figuring out who they are, who they want, in the midst of all the chaos and danger. You'll be shocked to see where the danger leads, and what losses Tris must face, before you get to the end of this story. And if you're like me, you're anxiously waiting for the next book, and hoping it's every bit as good as this one.

drey's rating: Excellent!

Review: 54. The Discovery of Socket Greeny by Tony Bertauski...

Title: The Discovery of Socket Greeny (Socket Greeny #1)
Author: Tony Bertauski
ISBN-10: 0982845200
eBook
Self-Published
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Tony Bertauski

drey's thoughts:
Socket Greeny is a teenager whose father is dead and mother works a ton and is never home. So he hangs out with his best friends Scooter and Chute all the time; but I imagine he'd still hang out with them all the time anyway. The three like playing in virtualmode, which is kinda like the next step for today's MMORPGS (massive multi-player online role-playing games)--it's virtual, there are multiple massive worlds, and everyone has avatars. But in virtualmode, you're there, and experiencing everything your sim does (within limits, of course). One day while in virtualmode, the three are attacked and Socket does something to save them.

Next thing you know, his mom's picking him up and taking him to a super-secret facility where he's poked and prodded. Talking droids offer him everything from advice to warnings. And he finds out that his mom works for the Paladin Nation, who're pretty much the entity that saves the world from ourselves, and he has special powers that the Paladin Nation is interested in.

The next section of the book details Socket's stay with the Paladin Nation, where he learns more about his father and meets new characters--some nice, some not so. Then he returns to the real world and finds out that the virtual sims (called duplicates) are mounting a coup, and it's a race against time to shut them off before the world as he knows it disappears (along with him in it).

The storyline jumps around in the beginning: here's Socket and his friends; wait, now there's Socket in the Paladin Nation. You bounce from his friends to unknown mind-readers and fantastical creatures. The story settles somewhat in the Paladin Nation while Socket makes his discoveries, then you're jumping back into reality where he's trying to patch up his friendships (well he had been gone for a while...). Overall, though, you'll enjoy meeting Socket and exploring the world where technology and science-fiction meet a stubborn teenager who's willing to mouth off if he thinks he can get away with it.

drey's rating: 3/5 Good: A bit lengthy in parts, but you'll be rooting for Socket and his friends.

Review & Giveaway: 34. The Chaos by Rachel Ward...

Last year, I was lucky enough to review Rachel Ward's Numbers, and this year I'm lucky (again!) to get my hands on her follow-up novel, The Chaos! Thank you, Big Honcho Media!

About the book:
Title: The Chaos (Numbers #2)
Author: Rachel Ward
ISBN-13: 9780545242691
Hardcover: 339 pages
Publisher: Scholastic, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Big Honcho Media

When he was a little boy, Adam learned about the numbers. The first ones he saw were Jem’s. That was how he knew she was going to die. Adam has more than inherited his mother's curse: When he looks in someone's eyes, he not only sees the date of their death...he feels the searing, shocking pain of it. Since Jem died, Adam has lived by the sea with his great-grandmother, Val. But when rising tides flood the coast, they return to London. The city is an alien, exciting, frightening place. Most disturbing of all, Adam can't help but clock how many people's numbers are in January 2027; how many are on New Year's Day. What chaos awaits the world? Can he and Sarah stop a catastrophe? Or are they, too, counted among the "twenty-sevens"?

drey's thoughts:
Rachel Ward's follow-up to The Numbers is just as captivating as its predecessor. The world that Adam and Sarah live in is stark and a bit depressing, honestly. There's poverty, food shortages, brown-outs, and flooding. As it is, the story starts out with Adam and his grandmother having to leave his mother's house as the floodwaters are swirling...

So they move to London, where Adam starts seeing the same number everywhere--January 1st, 2027. People in the streets, his classmates, whole groups of people show the same number. It gets overwhelming for Adam, who tries to capture the images that flit through his brain whenever he sees someone's number.

As if that's not bad enough, he has to deal with a new school where he immediately runs afoul of the local bullies, and is stymied by the Sarah's reaction to meeting him.

Character: Adam is a likable character, even when he's belligerent and rude, because you get why he reacts the way he does. Sometimes I forget that he's only a teenager, because his reactions are more mature than I'd peg him for. Then again, when you've had to deal with a secret as big as his for as long as he's had to, I guess you grow up quick.

I thought Sarah was surprisingly antagonistic, but then you finally get the picture of where she's coming from. All I can say is, Rachel Ward sure puts her characters through a heck of a lot of emotional wringing...

Pace & Plot: The Chaos starts off a bit slowly in the action department, but that's because it spent time building up the characters. I never got bored, and there weren't any slow spots. However, I do think it took quite a bit before they got around to figuring out what to do about Jan. 1, 2027.

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent

Find Rachel online at her website, www.rachelwardbooks.com.

Have you read The Chaos? What did you think?

Giveaway!!
Thanks to Big Honcho Media, I have a copy of The Chaos for two of you... Yup, TWO. To enter, comment below and tell me why you want this book. Don't forget to include your email address. Do it before 6pm CST March 20th!

Review: 28. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld...

I really enjoyed Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series, and love the cover of Leviathan. So. What else was there to do but pick it up and read it?

Title: Leviathan (Leviathan #1)
Author: Scott Westerfeld
ISBN-13: 9781416971740
eBook
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Purchased

drey's thoughts:
Scott Westerfeld's world in Leviathan is something like Star Wars vs. Darwin experimentalism, set during the beginning of World War I. The Archduke Ferdinand and his wife are assassinated, and his heir Aleksandar is whisked off into a machine that brings to mind the AT-AT (but with only two legs), hopefully towards safety.

At the same time Deryn Sharp is masquerading as a boy, so she can train to be a airman with the British Air Service. Only thing is, she's not quite going to be in an airplane... Instead she's on a huge floating whale that's kinda like a blimp that's alive (or is it a blimp that's a whale?).

The Darwinists use animals and biology and the ecosystem, and the Clankers use machines. And it looks like they're headed towards a showdown as countries draw sides in the aftermath of the assassination. So what happens when Aleks and Deryn meet in the remote mountains in Switzerland?

Character: Deryn and Aleks are two very different teens. One's fighting convention so she can do what she loves, and the other has his entire world turned upside down when his parents are killed. But both are likable teens. They're smart and sassy and funny and honest, and handle adversity pretty darn unbelievably well for teenagers... I think I like 'em! *grin*

Pace & Plot: Leviathan starts on a good pace, and moves at a good clip. There's a lot of ground to cover, after all, and with two storylines to boot. The plot doesn't veer too far from history, even if WWI never saw flying whales or giant two-legged machines. And there's lots to keep you interested as you turn the pages to see how Aleks and Deryn fare.

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent: This is my first steampunk novel, and I loved it! I can't wait to pick up Behemoth!

Have you read Leviathan? What did you think?

2011 challenge: Steampunk

Review: 25. Daughter of the Flames by Zoe Marriott...

I picked this one up because I noticed the cover. The flames really stood out against that dark background...

Title: Daughter of the Flames
Author: Zoe Marriott
ISBN-13: 9780763637491
Hardcover: 342 pages
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Waukesha Public Library

drey's thoughts:
Daughter of the Flames started off roaring, literally... The scene is set at the Temple grounds, where refugees are streaming in looking for shelter from an attack by the Sedorne against the Ruan.

This is where we meet Zahira, and the start of her journey from orphaned princess to novice to warrior.

Character: I was a bit disappointed in Zahira. Yes, she's a warrior--and well-trained at that. Yes, she is humble, and smart, and all things you would want in a heroine. But I didn't connect with her. And I'm pretty sure that the cover may have something to do with that--she does not look like a fifteen-year-old trying to keep herself together while getting her friends and followers to safety. In addition to the cover's impact on my perception, I didn't quite get how she could go from a Temple novitiate to being willing to marry the "enemy" to save her people. Too large of a leap there for me to follow...

Pace & Plot: The story is pretty basic. Orphan girl grows up to find all she loves destroyed, then realizes it's not the first time that's happened. Finds out she's royalty, the last of her line. And the one responsible for all the destruction is now looking for her. To find refuge from the evil warlord, she takes her ragtag band of followers on the road to the nearby city where she is owed a favor by the local lord. The action moves along--not quite quickly, but it doesn't drag either. Some parts invite a leap of faith, but none of this is boring, which is good!

drey's rating: 2/5 OK: Not my favorite read this year, but alright enough that I did finish...

Have you read Daughter of the Flames? What did you think?

Review: 20. Ghost Town by Rachel Caine...

Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampires series is addicting... And so I found myself picking up #9 to find out what's happening in this little town in Texas...

Title: Ghost Town (Morganville Vampires #9)
Author: Rachel Caine
ISBN-13: 9780451231611
Hardcover: 338 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Waukesha Public Library

drey's thoughts:
So, things have settled down in Morganville--as much as things ever "settle"... But the vampires need to replace Ada, and be able to enforce the no-leaving rule, so Amelie has Claire working with Myrnin to figure out a solution. Which they do, but then Myrnin adds his special touch and things start going haywire again.

Character: I heart Claire. And I am so sorry that she has to deal with all the crazies in Morganville. How unlucky can one girl get? Don't ask... Anyway. Claire has her hands full in this installment, as she figures out that the new "Ada" isn't working quite right. And she thinks Myrnin has something to do with it, but how do you prove that the crazy vamp is really crazy? Especially when he could crunch you like a bug, and just about as quickly, too. To add to her stress level Amelie and Oliver are fighting, and nothing's looking like roses anywhere. The gang's all here, but this one's heavy on Claire and Myrnin, with doses of Shane's father Frank.

Pace & Plot: The plot is pretty straightforward: fix the machine, so that Morganville can be contained and controlled again. All the (main) stuff in between the covers is from the machine going haywire, finding out why, and attempting to fix it. I really enjoyed reading about Claire's frustration (& gross-out) with Myrnin's additions to "her" creation. Pretty descriptive, and just a bit eeeew-y. And the ending? Creeped me out!

drey's rating: 3/5 Good: Add this teen read to your vampy bookshelf... I will be picking up #10 when it comes out. I have to know what happens next. Sigh. *shudder*

Have you read Ghost Town? What did you think?