Back to the Future: The Song of the Lioness Series by Tamora Pierce

Welcome to Back to the Future, a feature at YAA where we revisit young adult books from back when we were well, young adults.  Sometimes we'll be reading these books for the first time, sometimes we'll be rereading to compare how our adult selves interpret the book and sometimes, we'll be doing a bit of both.  

Somehow, Noelle completely missed Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness series the first time around.  Is she now too old to wear an Alanna is My Homegirl shirt? Only one way to find out---To the DeLorean!

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Summary from Tamora Pierce's website:

This story, all four books, is about the making of a hero. It's also about a very stubborn girl.

Alanna of Trebond wants to be a knight of the realm of Tortall, in a time when girls are forbidden to be warriors. Rather than give up her dream, she and her brother--who wants to be a mage, not a knight--switch places. She becomes Alan; Thom becomes a student wizard in the school where she would have learned to be a lady.

The quartet is about her struggle to achieve her goals and to master weapons, combat, polite behavior, her magic, her temper, and even her own heart. It is about friendships--with the heir to the throne, the King of Thieves, a wise and kindly knight--and her long struggle against a powerful enemy mage.

She sees battle as a squire and as a knight, lives among desert people and tries to rescue an independent princess. Singled out by a goddess, accompanied by a semi-divine cat with firm opinions, somehow she survives her many adventures to become a most unlikely legend.

Present Day Noelle: 
Not only am I not too old for an Alanna is My Homegirl t-shirt, I want one for Christmas.

Quick peek at circa 1992 Noelle:  *muppet flailing*

Back to Present Day Noelle: Young adult Noelle would have looooved this series and I'm still surprised I managed to miss it the first time around.  The Song of the Lioness would have felt right at home on my shelf beside Jackaroo by Cynthia Voigt and The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley.  Nevertheless, I'm glad I finally got the chance to remedy my oversight.  I greatly enjoyed Alanna's journey. 

I loved that although Alanna was naturally talented, she also depended on hard work and practice to overcome her deficiencies.  Mini-trials and tribulations built to serious battles, showcasing just how far Alanna grew throughout the series.  Alanna had to work hard for her accomplishments which helped balance out the Everyone Loves Alanna vibe that developed later in the series--- not that I could blame them.  I loved Alanna, too. 

Another great thing about the series is it's handling of romantic relationships.  Like real life, the heroine was allowed multiple romances that had their own natural expiration dates.  There wasn't any of the My High School Boyfriend is My Soulmate crap that can show up in other YAs.  Relationships began and ended for a variety of reasons with no talk of destiny, fate or tragedy.  It was very refreshing.  

Unfortunately, I read this series at the beginning of the summer and took all my notes for this review on my now extinct cell phone so this review is much shorter than I intended.  (If only I had a real Delorean to go back in time and back up my phone!) Still I remember enough to say with confidence: Alanna is definitely my homegirl for life.  I can't wait to read Tamora Pierce's other Tortall series.

Present Day Noelle's Ratings:
Alanna: The First Adventure: 3.5/5 stars
In the Hand of the Goddess: 4/5 stars
The Woman Who Rides Like a Man: 4/5 stars
Lioness Rampant: 5/5 stars

Extracurricular Review: Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews

Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews
(Kate Daniels World #1 / Kate Daniels #5.5)
Reviewed by Maggie: April 12, 2013
Published July 31, 2012 by Ace
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Kindle • Indie Bound



Do you remember that episode of Arrested Development where GOB goes to work for Stan Sitwell (Season 2, Episode 7: Switch Hitter)? While trying to impress Sitwell, GOB runs through the entire backlog of Michael's ideas in one meeting and then goes back to Michael and asks for more.

Michael: There were 34 proposals in there.
GOB: You'd be amazed how fast they come out when you read them all in a row.
Michael: That was 6 months worth of work. You can't just blurt them all out at once.

Well, Ilona Andrews, I'm sorry I blurted through 6 years worth of Kate Daniels novels back to back ... to back to back. And thank you for knowing we'd ask for more after Gunmetal Magic and throwing in the Magic Gifts novella (and setting some of it in a Korean restaurant!).

I kind of wish I had read Magic Gifts first. Both stories take place at the same time, Magic Gifts from Kate's perspective and Gunmetal from Andrea's, but since Gunmetal is full length, it goes beyond the events of the novella and references some of it. When I was reading Gunmetal, I thought I had missed a story or my brain had finally turned to mush after a week of choosing Curran over sleep.

Gunmetal Magic shifts the focus of the story over to Kate's partner-in-crime, Andrea Nash. Andrea was always such an interesting character to me because she's a lethal weapon who constantly allows herself to be sheathed by the Order and Ted Moynohan. Her loyalty to the Order is unflinching and it costs her in Magic Bleeds. She lives by a code that revolves around the Order first, herself second, her beastly self last -- at all costs last. Who she is without the Order?

Girl. You slapped Aunt B once and survived. You're an ass kicker!

I felt for Andrea so much in this because after learning more about her childhood, I understood how much the badge meant to her. For a girl who was abused by people bigger and stronger than her for the first 11 years of her life, the Order badge was a sign that declared, "You will not fuck with me. You will not touch me." The badge was a symbol that demanded respect. The Order was also a place she could feel at home. It was her pack, no boudas allowed. She always knew the Order was only her home so long as she hid who she really was, but it still hurts to be proven right.

I liked this book a lot but some of the Andrea-Raphael scenes reminded me of the Alpha & Omega series, ie super romancey and drawn out. And I hate, HATE to say this, but the Kate and Curran scenes made me think of Anna and Etienne in Lola and the Boy Next Door. Perfect couple is perfect! Kate would GAG at that. I missed hearing Kate gag at that or mentally threatening to punch Curran in the face. I loved Andrea's scenes with Ascanio the teenage heartthrob, and Ascanio and Julie. Ascanio and Julie -- I'm calling it now! I loved seeing a more serious side to Raphael, although he most definitely could've used a punch in the face too. The characters in this more than held their own without Kate calling the shots... but I can't wait until Kate is back.

Rating: 3.5 stars.

Early Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
The 5th Wave #1
Reviewed by Noelle: April 10, 2013
(YAA received an ARC of this book from the publishers)
(Will be) Published May 7, 2013 by Putnam Juvenile
Goodreads • Preorder on Amazon • Kindle

Aliens are coming and everyone knows it. They've been hanging out in orbit for a week or so now, observing Earth. Waiting. Watching. And they like what they see. They like it a lot. Except here's the thing: they don't really do sharing, so nothing against us humanoids, but we've gotta go.

Earth's eviction notice comes in five waves:

Wave #1: Say buh-bye to electricity.
Wave #2: Hope you live above sea-level.
Wave #3: You thought lil' ol' bird-flu was scary? That's cute.
Wave #4: Shhh...what you can't see might kill you.

By the fourth wave, 95% of the human population is dead and those who remain aren't even sure who the real enemy is--or what they look like. The fifth wave is coming, battle lines have been drawn and Earth's greatest weapon is up for grabs: humanity itself.

The 5th Wave is a taut, psychological sci-fi thriller that is destined to be a huge hit and deservedly so. The suspense is well-crafted and the characters' voices, particularly Cassie's, feel alive and three dimensional.

Cassie, a "normal" teenager who suddenly might actually be the last human on Earth, is my favorite. She is isolated and on the run but desperately driven by the chance of reuniting with her younger brother--at much physical, psychological and emotional pain to herself. I loved reading about her struggle to stay pragmatic in the face of paranoia and her moral balancing act with the ever evolving rules of survival in the post-invasion world.

I wasn't as engaged with Zombie's POV but I rather enjoyed the character when he was depicted by others. The strength of his character voice wasn't as dominant as Cassie's and while that made sense with his character's story line, Zombie's guilt (and other extenuating circumstances) gave his voice a muted quality in comparison. I enjoyed the psychological suspense the most and wished those aspects of Zombie's story had been cranked all the way up to the Ness-ian levels they flirted with. (I couldn't help but also wonder what it'd be like with a dual female protagonist POV pair of Cassie and Ringer as well...) There are several other intriguing smaller POVs that have room to grow in future installments of the series and one in particular I would have SO much to talk about if not for pesky spoilers.

The POVs expertly enrich the depth and scope of the invasion and the story is such that even though you'll figure some twists out before the characters, it does nothing to diminish the suspense or emotional rewards. Sure there are some questions that surface when you think too much about certain plot points (the age demographic of the squads for one), but the overall result is so entertaining and well-written that the questions are easy to brush aside. The more the different POVs come together, the stronger the story grows with surprisingly moving results.

I love backing characters into corners to see what they are capable of--and an alien invasion has a lot of corners. Let's face it. Humanity is freaking weird and that will always be our secret weapon. How strong we can be with our weaknesses. How unpredictable we are in our predictability. Humanity has a fluidity than cannot be fully foreseen or contained. You can back humans into a corner and you're never quite sure what you're going to get. The results can at turns disgust or delight, but something will always prevail.

Whether that is to the benefit of Earth's surviving humans or the new invaders, is yet to be seen.  But I'll definitely be reading to find out! Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Read the first 70 pages for free!

*I got a sort of sick relief that Florida (aka me) would get wiped out by the second wave and miss the whole bleeding-from-every-orifice third wave, but that's why I'm a lowly blogger and not the star of an amazing sci-fi action adventure I guess.

**Bonus points for mentioning tampons in a dystopia! What's next--actually acknowledging body hair when all the razors are gone?

Extracurricular Review: Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
Kate Daniels #1
Reviewed by Maggie: April 4, 2013
Published March 27, 2007 by Ace
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Kindle • Book Depository



When your entire blogroll recommends a book and your co-blogger threatens public shaming until you read said book, what do you do? Well, you fall asleep the first two times you try to read the book. I mean, the main character was drinking Boone's Farm Hard Lemonade. FFS. How am I supposed to take a mercenary seriously when she drinks something that high schoolers barely get drunk off of? Not only that, it takes place in a future Atlanta where people are driving buggies with horses? Because of magic? What in Boone's Farm hell?

However.

Noelle, I never doubted you. For too long. The third time was a charm. Remember the dynamic between Veronica and Logan in Season 1 of Veronica Mars? Now instead of a tiny blonde, picture all that tension and animosity in these two:

Source: Celebitchy

Kate Daniels is Veronica Mars in the body of former MMA fighter Gina Carano. And Curran... RAWR... Curran is Logan Echolls in the body of Superman Henry Cavill.

I usually complain about all the world building in fantasies, but in this one, we're just dropped into a world of vampires and shapeshifters and ley lines without much explanation. Despite feeling kind of lost in the beginning, what kept me engaged was the dialogue. Kate is snarky as hell. After she finds out that her guardian has been killed, she tries to get involved in the investigation. When asked whether she knows anything about investigative work, she replies,

"Sure. Annoy the people involved until the guilty party tries to make you go away."

Annoy like the wind, Kate! In the course of her investigation, she has to meet with the Master of the Dead and the Beast Lord. While the world and the rules of magic were kind of vague to me, I really liked Ilona Andrews' take on the supernatural. Vampires are mindless, hairless, glitterless bodies that are piloted by necromancers. Shapeshifters aren't limited to the usual werewolves, but there are 337 different varieties, including were-rats, were-bobcats, and were-bears. Fingers crossed that there is a cameo from Magenta the were-hamster from Sky High at some point in the series. There are strict rules in the pack and clear consequences for breaking those rules.

Kate is such a compelling character. She's tough and physically fit -- she has to be since she fights for a living. Whenever she's feeling vulnerable or outmatched, she hides behind a smart-ass bravado. She acknowledges she is not the feminine ideal, but she left any wallowing about her appearance behind when she was 14. Why?

"Survival took precedence over fashion."

Bravo. She's not entirely certain about how she's handling the investigation, but she's determined to bring her guardian's killer to justice.

The verbal sparring between Kate and Curran, the Beast Lord, is fantastic. Curran is someone who demands instantaneous respect. Kate chafes at authority figures. Put them in a room together and you don't get any insta-love. I highlighted at least one line from each of their interactions and cracked up over the rest.

Magic Bites is a supernatural version of Criminal Minds meets Veronica Mars. There are a lot of dead bodies and a lot of snark. I finally found an urban fantasy series to challenge Mercy Thompson. Round one goes to Mercy, but I can't wait to start round two.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars.

Rory Curtain Review: The MacGregor Grooms by Nora Roberts

Behind the Rory Curtain: Where the smut hangs out in Stars Hollow (and YA Anonymous).

Review: Shadows by Paula Weston

Shadows by Paula Weston
The Rephraim #1
Reviewed by Noelle September 13, 2012
Published July 2, 2012 by Text Publishing
Goodreads • Buy at Text • Fishpond


You might not know this about me since I don't review them but I'm a huge Urban Fantasy fan--check that, a huge adult Urban Fantasy fan.  I've never found a YA Urban Fantasy that came close to what I considered belonging in the genre (or particularly enjoyed any of the ones that kind of sort of came close.)  Let's just say that before today, my Venn diagram of my love of Urban Fantasy and YA had no overlap.

Not anymore!  Shadows is the most successful Urban Fantasy** YA I've ever read and it might be because it's can barely be considered a YA novel.  It's like when you're watching True Blood and the viewer warnings come on the screen--the more extensive the warnings, the better the episode and Shadows has it all: graphic violence, language, steamy situations.  AND FUN.  Did I mention fun?

Gaby is just a normal 18 year old trying to live her life.  Sure she's grieving and recovering from the car accident that killed her beloved brother a year earlier but she has her friends, her job and her writing to get her through.  What else but an active imagination could explain the vivid nightmares she has every night beheading hell beasts and battling demons?  If she were honest with herself, there would be one aspect of her nightmares Gaby wouldn't mind being real--the intriguing (and hot) guy who fights by her side every night.  However, when mystery guy walks out of her dreams and into her bar speaking of a past history with her brother that Gaby can't remember, her whole world gets turned upside down.

Someone has gone to a lot of trouble making sure Gaby doesn't remember her true identity (or sword-wielding skills) and now Gaby is scrambling to catch up, unsure who her true allies are amidst all the hidden agendas and competing factions.  Who is the real Gaby? And what really happened that tragic night?

Despite being put in the weak position of knowing nothing about what is going on, Gaby still manages to be awesome.  It was fun discovering everything with her and ooh boy, is there a ton to discover.  No one is quite what they seem and there are no easy answers.  The ever unraveling mystery and action keeps you wanting more.  The pace was so excellent that I stayed up until 3am to finish which my love of sleep rarely allows to happen.  I can't wait to see what happens next.

If you like an action-packed book that keeps things moving (and swooning), Shadows is the book for you.  Rating: 3.5/5 stars.

** Despite the Goodreads blurb name-dropping that book, I would not call Shadows a paranormal romance.  I agree with Jeannie Holmes definition of urban fantasy vs. paranormal romance and Shadows definitely falls under the former.

Also! Shadows was picked up for North American publication so watch out for it stateside later this year!

Review: UnWholly by Neal Shusterman

UnWholly by Neal Shusterman
(Unwind #2)
Review by Maggie: September 6, 2012
Published: August 28, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Kindle • Book Depository




I felt about UnWholly the way I felt about this season of True Blood.

I kid (and shamelessly take advantage of any opportunity to use an Alexander Skarsgard gif). But for the majority of the season, I was banging my head against the wall and yelling, "Stop trying to make Arlene happen!" And I'm pretty sure ifrit is Arabic for "waste of fucking time." But then just when I'm ready to wipe my hands of the show, it finally wraps up the extraneous storylines and gives me what I really care about -- Eric, Pam, Sookie. By the end of the season finale, I was completely reinvested in the story and anticipating next season.

Likewise with UnWholly...

Shusterman introduces three new characters who take up a good chunk of the novel with their background and development. While the characters weren't uninteresting, they felt like Unwind redux. Starkey is a less likable version of Roland, Miracolina is Lev 2.0 (or as I liked to call her, Tithe-1000), and Cam... Cam is a whole 'nother beast. Literally. Meanwhile, I'm thinking, "I came here for Lev. Bueller? Bueller?" The first half of the book felt like retread and what I did see of Connor, Risa, and Lev either annoyed me or wasn't enough. At one point, even Shusterman's writing started to grate on me. After he specifically mentioned Aquafina and Nike, I wrote in my notes, "WTF is this product placement? The most advanced technology exists and they still drink Aquafina's bottled sewer runoff?!" I actually like Shusterman's writing style but at this point in the story, I was so uninvested and detached that only nitpicking kept me engaged.

And then all the tedious groundwork came together and Connor, Risa, and Lev started acting like Connor, Risa, and Lev again. It's not that there was a lack of action earlier in the story, but this time, I actually cared and the tension increased tenfold. By the end of the book, I was sucked back into the story and eagerly awaiting Book 3.

Aside from the new characters, another aspect that may make-or-break UnWholly for you is the new development regarding the Unwind Accord. We learn more about how and why it came to be, which was a plot hole in Unwind. However, by filling that plot hole, it shifts the focus away from the abortion debate, which sets up a great storyline for Book 3 but also does a bit of a disservice to the issues raised in Book 1. For me, UnWholly lacked some of the heart and guts of the original, but still raised interesting questions and made me think. Shusterman also writes taut, tension-filled action scenes like few can. I'll definitely read the next book, but go in with modified expectations.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars.

Review: Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama
Reviewed by Noelle: September 4, 2012
YAA received an ARC for review from the publishers
Published September 4, 2012 by by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Goodreads • Amazon • Kindle • Book Depository

 A mermaid found a swimming lad,

Picked him for her own,

Pressed her body to his body,

Laughed; and plunging down

Forgot in cruel happiness

That even lovers drown.

The Mermaid by William Butler Yeats

Syrenka, an immortal creature of the sea has learned the hard way that loving a human can have catastrophic consequences but when she meets Ezra, a naturalist in 19th century Plymouth, Massachusetts, she dares to dream of a life shared together and is willing to sacrifice anything for the chance.  Hester, a 21st century teenager has begun to suspect that the affliction causing generations of mothers in her family to die within weeks of childbirth isn't so much a genetic defect as it is a curse.  When Hester begins to research her hunch, she uncovers much more than she could ever anticipate.

Yes, Monstrous Beauty is a story about mermaids, but it's also a story about love, sacrifice and the unexpected repercussions they create.  It's about how something beautiful can spawn something so wretchedly tragic that it echoes in time for centuries.  

There was a delicious undercurrent of creeeeeepy in Fama's writing, a feeling I described akin to listening to the Jaws theme.  You knew something was surfacing, but what? And would the damage be lost limbs and carnage or just peeing your pants in false alarm?  Fama doesn't shy away from darkness or violence and horrible things happen to characters in an nondiscriminatory manner.  No one is safe from tragedy or physical peril.

There were several times while reading that I wondered if the story could end happily for anyone involved.  It would be so easy to understand why Hester might be doomed to repeat Syrenka's calamitous mistakes because although some of the tragedies of Monstrous Beauty were perpetuated by hate, a majority of the destruction was motivated by love---sometimes short-sighted and selfish love, sure--but love nonetheless.  

The history-rich setting, including Burial Hill and the details of Hester's job as a historical reenactor added additional depth to the already dark mythology and almost tangibly oppressive atmosphere. However, the construct of the plot (Hester is not privy to the flashbacks to Syrenka's story) placed the reader several steps ahead of Hester for much of the book and it could be exceedingly frustrating when Hester unwittingly waltzed into dangerous situations or failed to pick up on things the reader has long since guessed.  But just when I was about to throw my hands in the air and plead, "Get with it already, Hester!" Fama added enough suspense and surprises to bring the story home with a satisfying smash.  

Rating: 3.5/5 stars.

Review: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Reviewed by Noelle: May 18, 2012
Published May 4, 2010 by Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing
Goodreads • Buy on Amazon • Kindle • Book Depository



I've read enough YA road trip themed books lately to consider myself a bit of an expert on the subject.  In fact I've noticed that there are a set of rules for the Road Trip Novel--rules that if followed can overcome the cliches to make something truly special.  Rules that if ignored can bring down the whole book.

First things first, a Road Trip Novel needs a believable reason for a teenager to drive across the country with a complete (but extremely hot, natch) stranger.  The catalyst for the road trip can be the hardest part to pull off.  Do it successfully and the readers are in for the ride and more willing to overlook the plot contrivances that make up the genre.  Do it wrong and the reader wants to turn the car back around and go home.

Often times the catalyst is a life-changing event: a death in the family, leaving for college,  a leisurely grand tour of Midwest tourist traps on the way to see if your kinda sorta friend was actually kidnapped or just ran away.  Ahem. Like I said, some options work better than others.

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour follows the first option.  After the death of her father, Amy's family scatters across the country.  Her brother gets shipped off to rehab, her mom takes a new job in Connecticut and Amy is all set to join her after school lets out for the summer.  There's only one problem: Amy's mom needs her to drive the family car from California to Connecticut and Amy doesn't drive anymore--not since the accident.

Enter Roger, childhood neighbor home from college and en route to Philadelphia to spend the summer with his dad.  And whaddya know? Roger has the requisite valid drivers license, stacked iPod and boyish good looks mandatory for the job.

Rather than follow the itinerary and booked hotel rooms set out by Amy's mother, both Amy and Roger agree for personal reasons (hers involving visiting landmarks relevant to her dad and his involving visiting landmarks relevant to his inability to get over his ex-girlfriend) to ditch the plan and go out on a detour neither will forget.

The second key to the success of a Road Trip Novel revolves around the three C's: cuteness, (plot) contrivance and cliches.  For one to be a success, the first C has to outweigh the last two and for the most part Amy and Roger's Epic Detour does just that.  It is undeniably cute.  I finished it with a big ol' smile on my face....and then I sat down a few days later to write a review and instead of all the cuteness, reality kept butting in with questions like:

• What grade felony is it to transport a minor over state lines without the permission of her guardian?

• Do Jeep Liberties have THE best gas mileage of all time?

• Why why why would you pick Krystals over BBQ in Memphis? 

• Does anyone really think a hot guy wearing glasses is any less hot?  [Insert 30 solid minutes of Tumblr evidence collecting: Matt Bomer, Ryan Gosling, Wilson Bethel, I could go on with literally ANY encouragement.] Edit for Belle: Jude Law, Jon Hamm,  Ed Westwick, Daniel Henney, Chris Pine, Darren Criss.

• Doesn't Matson realize you cannot "sip" a Dairy Queen Blizzard without either the use of a microwave or bursting all the blood vessels in your eyes? (This came up in the middle of a pivotal (MAKEOUT) scene and I swear I heard the record scratch sound effect in my head. I couldn't get over it.  Ask Maggie about enduring my five paragraph email ode to Blizzards.)

But while some of the details didn't hold up under cross examination and when you actually list out all the cliches (honeymoon suite! makeover! sharing a single bed!) they seem a little much, Matson totally nailed the feelings behind a Road Trip Novel.  The strange conversations around mile 750 feeling.  The only you and I saw that happen feeling.  The camaraderie.  The food.  The MUSIC.  (That's a link to all of Roger's playlists compiled into one Grooveshark list---before I realized there was already one on Spotify. Yay productivity circling the drain!)

In the end, Amy and Roger are just too likable and Matson's writing is just too charming to ignore. And that's why, while the book is predictable and pretty generic in it's choices, it is still a heckuva lot of FUN.  Rating: 3.5/5 stars.

Review: Boy21 by Matthew Quick

Boy 21 by Matthew Quick
Reviewed by Noelle: May 9, 2012
Published March 5, 2012 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Goodreads • Buy on Amazon • Kindle 

Finley's entire life is basketball and he trains tirelessly even though he's nowhere near the best player on the team.  As his dad says, effort can outwork talent.  Basketball consumes his every waking thought and he wouldn't have it any other way.  Without basketball and the team he'd have too much time to remember all of the things he's desperate to forget.  Russ is new to town, a basketball phenom whose love of the game died with his parents.  Now he's calling himself Boy21, saying he's an alien life form and obsessed with outer space.  Can Finley do as his coach asks and somehow help Russ, even if it means giving up his hard earned starting spot?

"Sometimes a player's greatest challenge is coming to grips with his role on the team."

--Scottie Pippen 

"No matter how good one player is defensively, he's only as good as his help defense." (source)

And that is exactly what Boy21 is about---except Matthew Quick isn't talking about basketball.  He's talking about life.  Sure, basketball brings Finley and Russ together and at different times and in different ways it acts as a savior for both boys.  But as all consuming and amazing and beautiful as it can be, both Finley and Russ are forced to experience how tragedy can make anything insignificant--even your heretofore reason for living.  Sometimes it doesn't matter how much you love something.  Real life has a way of changing your priorities and when it does, it's the team you have around you that counts.

All of Matthew Quick's trademarks are here: rough neighborhood, sad histories, finding (non-romantic) love in a hopeless place, unconventional friendships and support systems, a tragic event, and behind it all a hope so earnest it's almost hard to endure.  

There's a shift in direction between the first and second half and I think there is some confusion created by the change of focus.  Some decisions and conclusions seem very abrupt.  Still, there's much to love about Boy 21, especially the relationships between Finley, his dad and Pops and Finley and Russ.  Like Sorta Like a Rock Star, the ending is a little too convenient to seem wholly realistic but by the time you get there you are so won over by the protagonists that you are willing to forgive just about anything to believe good things can happen for them.

You might not know this about me but I'm a huge basketball fan.  Obviously I loved reading such a well done basketball book.  It's fitting though that I finished this book the same night I watched my favorite team get eliminated in the NBA playoffs.  But instead of being bummed, thanks to Matthew Quick, maybe tonight I'll go out on my porch, look at the stars and think about things bigger than basketball.

Rating: 3.5 stars with an inclination to round up to 4 stars.

Review: Getting Somewhere by Beth Neff

Getting Somewhere by Beth Neff

Reviewed by Maggie: April 27, 2012

Published January 19, 2012 by Viking Juvenile

Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Kindle • Book Depository

Every once in a while, to prove that Goodreads isn't the boss of me, I'll read a book that none of my friends have read or reviewed. (Meanwhile, Goodreads is all, Step back three paces. Turn around.) I can't remember how I first came across Getting Somewhere, but I remember that cover. I mean, just look at it! And the simple tagline: "Four girls. A million secrets." Count me in.

Getting Somewhere is about four strangers picked to live on a farm and have their lives monitored. To find out what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real...

The Real World: Rural Michigan!

Lauren, Sarah, Jenna, and Cassie are average teenage girls, except that they are all in juvenile detention for various crimes. They get picked for a new rehabilitation program where they will be sent to a farm in the middle of nowhere to live, work, and get counseling. The book begins with Jenna getting off the bus in Hicksville, where she is greeted by Ellie, Grace, and Donna, the three women who run the farm.

Listen, I have no problem reading a book with seven characters of the same race and gender. But, unless their names are Happy, Dopey, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Bashful, and Doc, I'm going to have a tough time remembering them and telling them apart. This is both a positive and negative attribute of the book -- I loved that Neff refused to make her characters easily identifiable stereotypes for simplicity's sake, but it lessens the impact of the story when I can't remember why a detail is important to a certain character, or even who the character is at first. Donna? Sorry, girl. I kept forgetting who you were. For the record, she's the cook at the farm.

Another issue that I had, that also contributed to some disconnect with the characters, was that the story is told in the 3rd person present tense.

"Sarah thinks Ellie had better watch out for poisoned apples."

I'm making it sound like I didn't like this novel, and that's not true at all. In fact, I ended up buying the Kindle edition after a few chapters because I had so many notes scrawled on various scraps of paper. This book is gorgeously written. Neff draws pictures in my mind with her words. Take this line:

"Sarah shakes her head hard to dislodge the image, tries to listen to Donna's story, but her mind is like a cracked plate, too damaged to hold the contents."

I also liked the idea behind the prison farm and the book itself -- going back to basics and working the land, then working on yourself. At first we see the girls struggling to adapt as they learn basic farm skills. Then we gradually start to see the different reasons the girls ended up where they are, and the various issues holding them back. This isn't an action packed story, but rather a slow burn. The heat turns up slowly as we learn more about the characters until it erupts and the girls learn not everything can be undone. This is an ambitious, challenging, and ultimately rewarding book by debut author Beth Neff.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars.

Early Review: Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott

Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott
Reviewed by Noelle: April 10, 2012
Published April 24, 2012 by Candlewick Press
(Noelle received an ARC of this book via the publishers on Netgalley)
Goodreads • Preorder on Amazon

Shadows on the Moon is a lovely retelling of Cinderella set in a magical version of feudal Japan.  The Cinderella of this story, Suzume, witnesses the murder of her beloved father and cousin and barely avoids death herself.   The traumatic event shatters Suzume and she compartmentalizes the broken pieces to survive.

Marriott does an excellent job portraying Suzume's post traumatic stress disorder and the effects of suppressing emotions out of fear (or other reasons).  The circumstances of the attack on her family aren't immediately clear and Suzume and her mother must assume new identities and a life in the protection of a close friend of her father.  As Suzume begins to suspect their new protector of more sinister motives, it is even more important for Suzume to hide her true self and the fight for her life begins anew.

During the initial attack on her family, Suzume was able to escape because of the manifestation of her shadow-weaving powers: the ability to manipulate her appearance to those around her.  These abilities were fascinating to explore but I was frustrated at their lack of rules.  It seemed to me that Suzume's skill level would increase exponentially whenever it was needed for the plot.  Yet Shadows on the Moon is a fairy tale and so successful a one at that, I was able to make certain allowances I might not normally accept so easily.

There are some truly special supporting characters in Youta and Akira, doing double duty as Suzume's fairy godmothers, and Otieno, Suzume's love interest and opposite in emotional honesty.

At first the reader experiences the vivid terror, rage and grief with Suzume but as the story goes on, Suzume doesn't just suppress her feelings to others, she does to the readers as well.  As a result, her narration has a serene, placid tone no matter what she is recounting to the reader.  As Suzume's sole focus becomes vengeance it is both vindicating and heartbreaking.  After enduring so many hardships, you want her to avenge her loved ones but you also want better things for her.  When Suzume finally begins to unpack the feelings she's hidden away for so long and starts to heal it is a beautiful thing.

Shadows on the Moon is a solid, if long, fairy tale retelling with moments of pure magic.  Rating 3.5/5.

Review: Friends With Boys by Faith Erin Hicks

Friends With Boys by Faith Erin Hicks
Review by Noelle: February 25, 2012
Published February 28, 2012 by First Second
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon

Attention: You can read the entire comic for a limited time at Faith Erin Hicks' website Friends With Boys. Also, reading her creative process at the bottom of this page was pretty cool.

Friends With Boys is a web comic (soon to be graphic novel) by Faith Erin Hicks featuring previously home-schooled Maggie McKay's experiences adjusting to public high school, making friends outside her family and oh yeah...figuring out why that pesky ghost is following her around.

Maggie is a likeable, sympathetic heroine who is complemented nicely by her charismatic brothers.  The sibling dynamics of both the McKay brood and Maggie's new friends Lucy and Alistair are my favorite parts of the story.  The characters' interests really filled out the story nicely and were fun to read about to boot. 

Hicks excels at communicating emotions with no words, whether it's her beautifully articulate facial expressions or wide framed scenery shots.  Maggie's high school map and field notes are both hilarious and dead-on. The characters are all expressive and charmingly rendered. 

Some elements of the story are left open-ended but I enjoyed filling in the blanks myself about the ghost and what she meant in relation to what Maggie was going through with her mom. Maybe that's just what the author intended or maybe I have an overactive imagination.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars.  Friends With Boys has some pretty enjoyable funny, spooky and poignant moments. 

(Sidenote: I'm totally going to try to make Magsby be a nickname for YAA Maggie until she tells me to stop trying to make Fetch happen.)

Review: Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden

Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden
The Tomorrow Series #1
Reviewed by Noelle: January 29, 2012
Published June 1st, 2006 by Scholastic Paperbacks (orig. published 1993)
Goodreads • Paperback at Amazon • Buy at Fishpond • Kindle edition

Whenever I hear a random, not easily explainable boom, there is a small part of me that wonders  if that noise I am brushing off as a transformer going out or random firework is actually something much more sinister. What if it is in fact not a benign blast but the first act of war? There I’ll be, wandering around in my safe oblivious bubble with electricity, plumbing, shelter and easily obtainable food and that boom was the moment my normal world changed forever. 

That is what happens to Ellie and her friends after a run of the mill camping trip. They return to discover their country has been invaded, their families held prisoner by the invading forces and that they are now the de facto resistance. 

I really appreciated how Marsden described the difficulty the teens had fully fathoming their dangerous new situation. 

“I still couldn’t comprehend that this might be a matter of life and death, that this was the most serious thing I’d ever been involved in. Of course I knew it; I just couldn’t keep remembering it every single second. My mind wasn’t that well disciplined.”

It’d really be hard to wrap your head around it, going from teenage worries and cares to guerilla warfare--especially with no authority figures around to take charge. Figuring out what is even going on would be hard enough, let alone survival tactics such as food and protection and eventually fighting back. A course of action, no matter how small would become a risky, life-threatening venture. Ellie and the different members of the group come to terms with the consequences of their war time actions and decisions in different manners which were all very interesting to see. 

The book is written as a group history taken down by Ellie to preserve a record of what happened. At times I thought Marsden had backed himself into a corner by choosing such a specific format. It worked really well sometimes, like when Ellie offered up a cut and dry relation of strategy and events or when Ellie was offering her insight into the situation but there were other times I yearned for more personal information about the other characters. Although the group had 8 members, I ended the book knowing only a few well enough to care what happened to them. (And by care I mean freak out about them. Something big would happen and it'd be more like “Oh, crap” vs. “OMG NOOO WHYYY??” You know how much we like to freak out at YAA.) Overall I was intrigued by all of the characters but ended the novel feeling held at a distance from most of them. I have a feeling that will be remedied in the six following books.

The format also made me skeptical when Ellie would share certain personal feelings (such as debate the merits of competing crushes) in the history. I wanted to read that stuff of course, but I couldn’t help but be semi-mortified that she was sharing it in such a public forum.  The format also made the love stuff (there’s love stuff) leap-frog all of the fun crush-building moments straight to “Oh, by the way, I’m in love with so and so now.” I know the teens are all in life and death mode and there was no time for semantics but I was left feeling a little disappointed. I wanted to be more invested in those kinds of developments.

But back to the good stuff. Primarily this is a book about survival and I loved the ins and outs of the group’s every day life as the resistance. Ellie and Homer's excellent strategizing, along with their ability to think on their feet kept me glued to the book to see what would happen next. It also made me realize how fast I'd be captured or killed if I were in their place. I don't keep matches handy or even know how to drive a stick shift for crying out loud! I might have to start carrying a can opener in my purse. Maybe I should learn a survival skill for each book in this series. Does anyone know where one can sign up for bulldozer driving lessons?

Rating: 3.5/5 stars.  I thought this book was good with moments of great.  Overall this was a fast, engaging read with a dynamic, interesting heroine. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. On to the next one!

Another point of view: Maggie rated this book 5 stars via Goodreads.