Archive for the ‘teen fiction’ Category

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This Wednesday I am waiting on Insatiable by Meg Cabot. What can I say? It’s Meg Cabot, whom I adore, and it’s a vampire book! I can’t wait to read this, as I’m sure it will be amazingly adorable and hilarious.

Insatiable
Release date: June 8, 2010

Summary (from Meg Cabot’s Website):

A modern sequel to Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Sick of hearing about vampires? So is Meena Harper.

But her boss is making her write about them anyway, even though Meena doesn’t believe in them.

Not that Meena isn’t familiar with the supernatural. See, Meena Harper knows how you’re going to die (not that you’re going to believe her. No one ever does).

But not even Meena’s precognition can prepare her for what happens when she meets — then makes the mistake of falling in love with — Lucien Antonescu, a modern-day prince with a bit of a dark side…a dark side a lot of people, like an ancient society of vampire-hunters, would prefer to see him dead for.

The problem is, Lucien’s already dead. Maybe that’s why he’s the first guy Meena’s ever met that she could see herself having a future with. See, while Meena’s always been able to see everyone else’s future, she’s never been able look into her own.

And while Lucien seems like everything Meena has ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, he might turn out to be more like a nightmare.

Now might be a good time for Meena to start learning to predict her own future…

If she even has one.

For my YA library services class, we had to create a 3 book booktalk last week. I did a booktalk on The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart, Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph, and The Indigo Notebook by Laura Resau, 3 books I have read and reviewed here at bibliochic. Check out my booktalk below!

Note: Since I don’t actually work for a library (yet!) you’ll see a fake library name in the booktalk. Just so you know.

Keep Your Head Down. Don’t Get Noticed. Or Else.

I’m Trella. I’m a scrub. One of thousands who work in the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. The Trava family who rules our world from their spacious Upper levels wants us to be docile and obedient, like sheep. To insure we behave, they send the Pop Cops to police us.

So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? Not like it’s all that dangerous–the only neck at risk is my own.

Until a lower level prophet claims a Gateway to Outside exists. And guess who he wants to steal into the Upper levels to get the proof? You’re right. Me. I alone know every single duct, pipe, corridor, shortcut, hole and ladder of Inside. It’s suicide plain and simple. But guess who can’t let a challenge like that go unanswered? Right again. Me.

I should have just said no…

Synopsis from Maria Snyder’s web site, release date April 1, 2010, Harlequin Teen

Inside Out is Maria Snyder’s first foray into true science fiction and I think many people will find it a success. The world of Inside Out is filled with mystery and complete otherness. The people of this world live in what they call “Inside,” a huge metal cube where they exist. On the lower levels, the people called “scrubs” maintain the systems of living, air, waste, water, etc. and in the upper levels, the “uppers” live in what the scrubs believe to be relative luxury. The scrubs are given very few rights, and live in crowded quarters, working long hours. The uppers have families and maintain more of what we would know to be careers. The scrubs have no choice in their every day living, while they uppers have more freedoms and privileges.

In Inside Out, Trella, a scrub known as “Queen of the Pipes,” gets by day-to-day, living out her life as a loner. She has few friends, and most of the scrubs regard her with resentment because of her skills. She’s content with her existence in Inside, until the day her friend Cogon brings her to hear a prophet called Broken Man. Broken Man tells Trella and Cogon there is a way to reach Outside, through something called Gateway, which is a sort of portal to Outside that most Insiders believe will be found someday. Trella isn’t a believer in Gateway, but Cogon is, and his belief convinces her to take on a task that will lead to an even greater, yet exceedingly dangerous, journey. The path she takes could lead to redemption for the scrubs, or utter destruction of all she’s ever known.

Inside Out is an interesting, complex sci-fi story with a world similar, but unique from, many other future worlds. Trella is a complex character that you’ll simultaneously love, but occasionally be annoyed by. For me, I find that a great skill in an author–it’s easy to make characters that you’ll love or hate, but not always so easy to make characters that are realistic, with the qualities of a real human being (despite being in a completely “other” world). Inside Out will make you laugh and make you feel. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

Digital ARC received from publisher via NetGalley

After escaping from Evernight Academy, the vampire boarding school where they met, Bianca and Lucas seek refuge with Black Cross, an elite group of vampire hunters. Bianca must hide her supernatural heritage or risk certain death at their hands. But when Black Cross captures her friend–the vampire Balthazar–all her secrets threaten to come out.

Soon, Bianca and Lucas have orchestrated Balthazar’s escape and are on the run, pursued not only by Black Cross, but by the powerful leaders of Evernight. Yet no matter how far they run, Bianca can’t escape her destiny.

Bianca has always believed their love could survive anything–but can it survive what’s to come?

Synposis from claudiagray.com, release date March 9, 2010

Hourglass is the best yet in Claudia Gray’s Evernight series. In Stargazer, we left Bianca and Lucas with Black Cross, under lockdown, and on the alert for an attack by Mrs. Bethany and her growing clan of vampires. In Hourglass, Bianca and Lucas are still stuck with Black Cross, with time slowing running out as they hope to plan their escape. As time moves forward, Bianca’s situation becomes more desperate as her need for blood grows stronger and others grow suspicious about her past. After escaping from Black Cross, Bianca and Lucas go into hiding, looking forward to finally having their “happy-ever-after”–but it couldn’t be that easy, right? A host of old friends and enemies return, and complications make their situation even more dire as the two star-crossed lovers fight for their lives and fight to remain together.

Hourglass is intensely fast-paced and extremely suspenseful. Bianca and Lucas continue to grow as characters, and Lucas shows a great deal of depth and emotion in this novel. I couldn’t put this down once I picked it up! The whole book makes you feel as if you are racing towards an awesome, yet terrifying conclusion. But yet, there is one more novel in this series (Afterlife), and I am not looking forward to waiting for that!

Hourglass is a much more adult novel, darker than the previous two in the series. Fans of the series will love the things we continue to discover about all of our favorite characters, yet they’ll be shocked by the betrayals, unexpected discoveries, and the quick conclusion.

ARC received from the author–thank you!

For More: Check out Claudia Gray’s web site!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This Wednesday I am waiting on Inside Out by Maria Snyder. I’m a big fan of her Study series (Poison Study, Magic Study, Fire Study) and have started her Glass series (Storm Glass, Sea Glass). I’m very excited about Inside Out, and was actually lucky enough to have a galley to read on NetGalley, so I’ll be reviewing that title soon in the weeks to come!

Inside Out
Release date: April 2010

Summary (from Maria Snyder’s Website):

Keep Your Head Down. Don’t Get Noticed. Or Else.

I’m Trella. I’m a scrub. One of thousands who work in the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. The Trava family who rules our world from their spacious Upper levels wants us to be docile and obedient, like sheep. To insure we behave, they send the Pop Cops to police us.

So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? Not like it’s all that dangerous–the only neck at risk is my own.

Until a lower level prophet claims a Gateway to Outside exists. And guess who he wants to steal into the Upper levels to get the proof? You’re right. Me. I alone know every single duct, pipe, corridor, shortcut, hole and ladder of Inside. It’s suicide plain and simple. But guess who can’t let a challenge like that go unanswered? Right again. Me.

I should have just said no…

I’ve been lucky enough to get my hands on a few ARCs, plus I’ve bought some of the latest YA lit out–here’s what will be upcoming in reviews over the next few weeks:

The 2009 Cybils (Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers Literary Awards) have been announced!

A few of my favorites!

• Middle-Grade Fiction: Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. I haven’t read this book yet, but am looking forward to it. Anderson is one of my favorite authors, plus, I will be seeing her speak at the Virginia Hamilton Conference in April!
• Fantasy and Science Fiction (YA): Fire by Kristin Cashore. Love, love, love this book! Can’t wait for the 3rd book in this series, Bitterblue.

In celebration of Valentine’s weekend, I’d like to share with you some of my favorite literary couples, from across all genres. Comment and share with me some of your favorites! Even those star-crossed lovers, that never seem to make it together.

1. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Of course, this is number 1 on my list. Maybe it’s cliche, but Pride and Prejudice is my favorite book, and I’ve read it at least 10 times. I’ll never tire of their story!

2. Jesse and Suze from the Mediator series by Meg Cabot

I’m one of the biggest Meg Cabot fans you’ll ever find. I’m pretty sure I own all of her books. And of her books, Jesse and Suze top my list as a great couple. The Mediator books are filled with an awesome amount of star-crossedness, longing, a little bit of lusting, but also true love.

3. Elspeth and Rushton of The Obernewtyn Chronicles by Isobelle Carmody.

Oh, these two. For several books in the chronicles you’re screaming, get together already! You love each other! But the complicatedness of this couple is what keeps me reading.

4. Numair and Daine from the Immortals quartet by Tamora Pierce

I’m also the hugest Tamora Pierce fan, and especially fond of Numair and Daine. Despite their age and personality differences, they found a common love in each other–passionate, sometimes angry, but real, solid love.

5. Luciano and Arianna in the Stravaganza books by Mary Hoffman

I love these books, and I adore that they are in Italy–already uber-romantic, eh? Luciano and Arianna are wonderful together, and Arianna is such a strong female character. You love her and know what’s best for her–in Luciano–and eventually she sees it as well. These are excellent books, and I really hope more people are reading them!

6. Aislinn and Seth from the Wicked Lovely books

Will Seth and Aislinn be able to stay together despite her status as faery royalty? What is Seth going to do in Radiant Shadows? Those answers and more coming this year!

And of course, I have many, many more couples I love, but these are a few of my favorites. Share your own in the comments or on your blog! If you write about this on your blog, comment here and let me know so I can check it out.

Opened up my RSS reader and found this delightful news via The Compulsive Reader: The third Hunger Games novel will be called Mockingjay, and above you can see the lovely cover. This is one of the most highly anticipated books of the year–can’t wait!

This semester I am taking a course entitled “Library Services for Young Adults.” Pretty much my dream class, you know? I’m very excited about it! In this class, I’ll be reading about 20 YA titles and writing about them. I thought I’d share my thoughts here as I read, in order to share these books with you, my awesome audience, and also help preserve my initial thoughts.

The first book I finished is The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughren. I hadn’t heard of this book or author before selecting it for my class. The White Darkness was the 2008 Printz award winner, but the book was actually published several years ago. This is the type of book I haven’t read in quite some time–a mixture of adventure, realism, with a younger protagonist, and a lot of symbolism reaching out and grabbing the reader. The story reminds me of The Endless Steppe by Esther Hautzig with the extreme situations the characters are placed in, as well as the general flow and telling of the story. I also feel as if this book will remain as The Endless Steppe has: timeless and intriguing to generations today and in the future.

Now on to the plot: The story follows 14-year-old Sym, a young girl that lives in England with her mother and good friend of the family, Uncle Victor. Immediately, you are also introduced to another major player in Sym’s life, Titus Oates, someone that many would call her “imaginary friend.” Titus has been with Sym ever since her father died–but who is he? Titus was an explorer, a member of the British Navy, in the early 1900s, that helped to front an expedition to the South Pole. Unfortunately, he never made it to his destination, and he and his team died in Antarctica. Sym has had an obsession with Antarctica (“The Ice”) ever since she was young, an addiction fostered by her uncle and his own passion for that continent. As you can probably tell, Sym hasn’t had the easiest time of it growing up: she’s extremely shy, suffers from hearing loss, and also suffered a lack of love from her own father, who eventually died of a debilitating disease of the mind. She has few friends and rarely comes out of her shell of protection she’s built around her self.

In The White Darkness, Sym and Uncle Victor travel to Antarctica on her dream trip–all she’s ever wanted to do, all she’s ever planned for, all her world encompasses. While there, the real reason behind the trip enfolds, along with a great deal of deceit, suspense, adventure, danger, madness, fantasy, and a whole lot of ice and snow. Sym finds herself in the middle of the great ice continent with her uncle and several companions and begins to finally test the truths she’s always believed in. The ultimate goal: survival, but once your whole world has fallen and collapsed beneath you, what point is there to keep moving on? Sym finds herself, through the help of Titus, to be stronger and more resilient than she ever could have believed, and at the end of the book, she has a much brighter future in front of her.

This is a book that many audiences would enjoy, which is why I imagine it was selected for the Printz award. It is great for younger readers–despite a slight smattering of foul language, the book is clean and enticing for younger readers that enjoy adventure and suspense. Older readers will also enjoy the book, as they will be able to understand the underlying symbolism of “the white darkness” and the other beautifully haunting allegories McCaughren has staged throughout.

For More: Check out McCaughren’s personal web site!