Early Review: More Than This by Patrick Ness

More Than This by Patrick Ness
Reviewed by Noelle: September 3, 2013
(YAA received an ARC of this book from the publishers)
(Will be) Published on September 10, 2013 by Candlewick Press
Goodreads • Preorder on Amazon • Kindle




Here's the thing with reviewing Patrick Ness books: I don't want you to read reviews of Patrick Ness books.  I want to Panda slap your laptop out of your hand before allowing you to read any details about Patrick Ness books.  I want you to skip GO, do not collect $200 dollars and JUST FREAKING READ THEM ALREADY. Save the review browsing for after.

Which might be a bit scandalous to say as a book blogger (goodbye page views!) but: 1) I don't want you to get spoiled because part of the fun of reading Ness is feeling like you are a reaction GIF brought to life, and  2) Preconceptions and Ness books just don't mix.

Your brain will try to fill in the blanks and make assumptions--specifically that you can try and guess where the story is going in Part One.  Patrick Ness will smile to himself, suddenly amused on the other side of the planet, not quite knowing why.  Part Two comes around and you'll chuckle ruefully.  That Ness, he gets you every time!  But you've read a book before, you know where Part Three is going, right? RIGHT?  Part Four comes along and there you are lying in the fetal position in your driveway as Ness lays down rubber doing donuts around you while screaming "MWAHAHAHAHA!" out the window.

We've all been there.

I always thought one of the best things about Patrick Ness was the beauty of not being sure where he was leading you but being willing to open up and experience the journey. Ness has made that thought into a book.

"I'll just see", he says. "That's all I'll do.  I'll just see what's next."

What's next takes the universal feeling of being sure there must be More Than This, focuses it into a tight close up shot of a teenage boy's dying face and then pulls it back all the way to the atmosphere.  Detailed personal agonies let go to boundless breadths of emotion.

I somehow didn't cry until page 381.

More Than This is unconventional.  It might test your patience and expectations as a reader.  But, as a reader, haven't you ever read a book and wondered, isn't there more than this?  Well, my dears.  This is it.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Extracurricular Review: Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews

One week ago, I fell into the world of Kate Daniels. 5 books and 3 novellas later, I'm finally resurfacing -- and only because there aren't any more books until July 30. This series has completely wrapped me up in its magic, its world, and its characters. Kate redefines badass. She is woman, hear her make Curran roar. Smart and smart-ass, this series is everything I could have asked for.

My review for Magic Bites (Kate Daniels #1) can be found here.

Magic Burns
(Kate Daniels #2)
Read from April 4-5, 2013
Published April 1, 2008 by Ace
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Kindle • Indie Bound


For the first quarter of the book, I thought this was heading toward 3 stars. I liked it and it explained the world much better than Magic Bites, but there were more new characters and creatures when I'd barely managed to wrap my head around the ones already introduced. But then, but then, there was the soup and the please and the thank you and AH. And then Noelle sent me this gif for Curran:

...and well, I was walking around murmuring Curran all day.

Starbucks barista: May I have a name for this drink?
Me: Curran.
Barista: Karen?
Me: CURRAN. Wait, what are we talking about?

I haven't been this wrapped up in a world since last year when I zoomed through all the Mercy Thompson books. Full review to come.



Psych. I'm getting some coffee (coffee) and reading the next book. And if you like The Princess Bride, you need to read this.

Rating: 4 stars.

• • •

Magic Strikes
(Kate Daniels #3)
Read from April 6-7, 2013
Published March 31, 2009 by Ace
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Kindle • Indie Bound


5 SIGNS THAT YOU'VE BEEN INFECTED WITH THE KATE DANIELS VIRUS

1. That knife you used to butter your toast? It now has a name.

2. You relate everything in the real world back to the Kate Daniels world and start making the cheesiest jokes.

3. You said "Katelanta." Even once.

4. Lions. How hot are they?! --> This is a legitimate thought.

5. You're panicked that your Kindle battery will run out mid book because you usually charge it while sleeping but you haven't been sleeping because of this series!

There is so much MORE in Magic Strikes. We get more of Kate's back story, more of Curran's back story, more of Kate and Curran's present story... Hold on while I go back and reread EVERY scene with them.

Derek has quickly emerged as a favorite character as well. He's like a mix of Warren and Ben from Mercy Thompson wrapped up in a pretty package. And Doolittle! Who doesn't love Doolittle!

As in the previous books, the word/foreplay in this is off the charts. It's a slow, simmering burn and yet the effect is scorching.

Rating: 4.5 stars.

Okay, on to Book 4. Curran is a hell of a drug.

• • •

Review: Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil

Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil
Reviewed by Maggie: February 5, 2013
Published by Hardie Grant Egmont on February 1, 2013
Goodreads • Buy at Kindle • Kobo • Nook • Fishpond
(We're not a Kobo or Nook affiliate, but whatevs. Get it!)



One of my Top 5 Foreign Language Films (subgenre: drama) is Mostly Martha from Germany. Martha is a sought after, highly regarded chef with exacting standards. (I would call her the female Soup Nazi but Germans + Nazi reference... Let's not go there.) In the beginning of the movie, she talks about how the simplest dishes, like salmon in a light basil sauce, are the hardest because there's nothing to disguise or distract from the flavor. It's all about proper seasoning and precise cooking. These basic dishes are how to judge the quality of a chef. Likewise with books, I think the simple, slice of life stories are the hardest. Without big issues or fantastical situations or death, the story comes down to the characters.

Life in Outer Space is about Sam Kinnison and his group of friends as they navigate a year of high school. Sam is a movie obsessed, World of Warcraft playing geek with dreams of being a screenwriter. He's like Dawson Leery minus the giant head and ugly crying. His best friend, Mike, is a black belt in karate. Mike is also a disco dancing, Oscar Wilde reading, Streisand ticket holding friend of Dorothy, know what I'm saying? When Mike first came out to the group, which also includes Adrian and Allison, they did what any self-respecting nerd would do -- they googled. Based on search results, they ended up watching Xanadu, Lesbian Vampire Killers, and Dirty Dancing. Sam narrates,

"We watched Dirty Dancing. Mike fell asleep, but I had to admit I kind of liked it, which made me question my own sexuality, raising a whole heap of other questions I chose not to examine."

Their routine of avoiding jock/terrorist Justin Zigoni and his crew by hiding out in the IT office is compromised when Camilla Carter comes to town. Camilla is Australian by birth but has spent most of her life bouncing around the world with her famous music critic father. Camilla ends up in the IT office her first day because her laptop won't connect to the school's WiFi. Sam, the IT assistant, can't avoid her, especially when she notices his WoW screensaver and writes down her WoW name.

I want to hug this book. If you've read any of my reviews, you know I talk in movie. Sam, with his Top 5 lists, is a kindred spirit. He's also smart, funny, and totally clueless. He reminds me of two of my favorite YA boys: Ed from Graffiti Moon and Sam from Hold Me Closer, Necromancer. Camilla is who Zooey Deschanel and Olivia Munn pretend to be. Hell, she's who I want to be! I mean, anyone who can use Sweeney Todd and Dirty Dancing to taunt is my hero. Adrian steals every scene he's in.

This book is about the little victories in life. Nothing earth shattering, just the times when you say yes instead of no. Do you reply back? Do you risk the dining hall? Do you give in to John Cusack??

Melissa Keil writes with a deftness that shows why she won the Ampersand Project. She gets the right mix of heart and humor and uses little details, like the fact that Sam downloads a movie using torrents, to add to the authenticity of the story. Like I said before, I think these types of stories are the hardest to write. However, when done well, they just make you happy that you read them. Life in Outer Space is done well. I can't guarantee that you'll be blown away, but I can say that you'll be glad you said yes instead of no to this.

Favorite quote: "I will shelve this insanity and store away the memory of her in the hope that one day it'll be distant enough to be useful for a screenplay."

Rating: 4.5/5 stars.

This is my first review for the Australian Women Writers Challenge for 2013.

Review: Clara in Washington by Penny Tangey

Clara in Washington by Penny Tangey
Reviewed by Maggie: September 27, 2012
Published June 27, 2011 by University of Queensland Press
Goodreads • Buy at Fishpond • Kobo
Kobo 30% off code: win_g7om1n1

When I first started teaching, I thought I was down with the students... until they asked me if I’d seen High School Musical.

Me: “No, what’s it called?”

Kid: “… High School Musical.”

Me, looking at the student like she’s special: “Your high school musical is called ‘High School Musical’?”

Kid, looking at me like I’m special: “Are you serious right now?”

One week later, after I’d bought and watched BOTH High School Musicals (because there are TWO of them!), I was leading the kids in “We’re all in this together...”

I think it’s pretty easy to find common ground with kids. Their High School Musical is my Newsies. However, one thing that differentiates 80s babies from this generation is that we never grew up with the constant fear of terrorism. Sure, we had Stranger Danger and Chester the Molester (and fear of rhymes apparently), and there were acts like the Oklahoma City bombing, but we didn’t live with a palpable threat. A fear of flying often carried the descriptor "irrational". 

Clara has just finished taking her Year 12 exams in Melbourne and decides to accompany her mom to Washington, DC over summer break. Rather than feeling excited, Clara is anxious and scared. She’s scared of being attacked – by muggers, by terrorists. She prefers to stay in the apartment watching Gilmore Girls and The West Wing (me on a normal day), but when she does venture out, she makes sure her cell is pre-dialed to 911 in one hand and her keys are sticking out of her fist in the other (me on a normal night). When not watching TV, she’s checking up on her friends back home on Facebook. After her mother suggests she volunteer and do something productive with her time, Clara signs up to volunteer at a soup kitchen and Reading Beyond Bars, an organization that sends books to prisoners. While working, she meets a guy, aka a REAL incentive to get out of the house. Over talks about life and politics, she finds herself leaving her comfort zone both physically and ideologically. This is a coming of age story set on the eve of Obama's inauguration. 

Clara in Washington was such a fresh and unique read. For starters, it tackles a topic that I think is too often avoided: politics. Each chapter starts with a quote from a president or a political figure. It's crazy to me that incest (INCEST!) is fair game in YA, while politics seems taboo. I feel like I was more politically aware in high school, with Speech & Debate, JSA, etc, than I am now. Clara has political opinions. Of Obama versus McCain, she says,

"Obama is inspiring and McCain is just blah."

Before you think this is a purely pro-Obama book, the group of anarchists that Clara befriends through volunteering are vociferously anti-Obama. It's interesting that some of the complaints the anarchists have of Obama are issues that are being raised in the current election cycle.

Regardless of your opinion of Obama, his election had an impact beyond the United States. It's fascinating to view the election through the eyes of an Australian, and Penny Tangey describes the celebratory atmosphere the day he won the presidency. Likewise, I loved looking at our nation's capital from the viewpoint of a foreigner. I mean, if you think about it, what is it with our need to take pictures in front of phallic monuments?

While the topic of this book is something I gravitate towards, the tone is different from my usual reads. A lot of the story takes place in Clara's head. She's working through fears, guilt from her fears, doubts about herself and her future. Clara's voice reminded me a lot of Bindy Mackenzie -- they're both straightforward with a dry sense of humor -- but Clara isn't as sure of herself as Bindy. She's always wanted to study law, but she doesn't know if that's what she wants anymore. Whereas I had issues with Bindy, I really liked Clara. She's struggling with a lot in between random TV marathons and Facebook stalking, but her voice is so authentic.

This book made me think of Good Oil and The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie, but while I gave both of those books 3 stars, I'm giving Clara in Washington 4.5. The tone, the characters, the setting, the story just worked for me. I loved seeing Clara's development, which was gradual and full of mistakes. I loved lines like this:

"I don't have anything revolutionary but perhaps if I wear all black people will think I'm well-read."

I think this is a timely, thoughtful, bold book. I would've absolutely loved reading this in high school. Having said that, this book is not for everybody. If the word "unpatriotic" is in your daily vocabulary, you will not like this book. If the words "unpatriotic" and "birther" are in your daily vocabulary, you will definitely not like this book. Seriously though, there are a lot of quiet moments where Clara is just thinking. I'm usually the first to roll my eyes when a book is described as being quiet, ie BORING, but this story wasn't boring for me. Clara in Washington is a fresh take on a girl discovering her place in the world during the time of school results, election results, and Facebook.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars.

Review: Friday Brown by Vikki Wakefield

Friday Brown by Vikki Wakefield
Review by Noelle: September 17, 2012
Noelle received a copy for review from the publishers.
Published August 22, 2012 by Text Publishing
Goodreads • Buy at Text • Fishpond


What makes a person who they are? Is it some magical combination of experiences, memories and family? What happens when those things are stripped away, are proven false or leave you behind?  Who are you then?  And do you actually have any say in the matter?

Friday Brown has spent her entire life traveling from town to town with her mother Vivienne.  Never in one spot long enough to know anyone.  Never needing anyone else but her mother to know her.  But then Vivienne dies.  Left alone with a grandfather that's a stranger, Friday is lost.  Vivienne not only physically created Friday, she mentally shaped her as well.  Vivienne's stories built her up but now the truth is breaking down.  Friday doesn't know who she is without Vivienne... but it's time to find out.

Reverting to her nomadic instincts, Friday runs away to the streets and finds herself a part of a new kind of family--broken people fitting their jagged edges together trying to become whole.   But is Friday finding herself or merely letting the next charismatic mother figure mold her into someone else?  Sometimes it's just easier to allow yourself to be swept away with the current than exhaust yourself struggling to swim against it.  And no one knows they are caught in a riptide until it's too late.

Friday Brown has a more subdued style than All I Ever Wanted but the story is just as intense. Wakefield's prose is as beautiful as ever with an exquisite tension thrumming throughout.  When the setting switches to an abandoned, isolated town in the Outback, the stress fractures formed by the effort of keeping the family together begin to strain, crumbling apart to chilling results.  Friday's journey and portrayal are painfully honest and once again, Wakefield's characters are so vividly drawn their strength reverberates off the page.  From devotion to desperation to horror, every emotion rings true.

If I had to describe Vikki Wakefield's novels using one word it would be "fearless".  If I could choose two words they'd be "required reading".  Rating: 4.5/5 stars.


GIVEAWAY!
You'd have to pry our personal copies of All I Ever Wanted and Friday Brown out of our dead cold hands, but if sharing is caring, sharing Vikki Wakefield is true love.  Don't ever say we don't love you, readers!  That's right, enter below to win a copy of your choice of All I Ever Wanted or Friday Brown. YA Anonymous will order you a copy from Text and send it straight to your doorstep.  International readers welcome to enter.



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Review: Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Reviewed by Maggie: August 31, 2012
Published: November 6, 2007
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Kindle • Book Depository





Over dinner last week, I tried to explain the plot of Unwind to my friend Amy, a nurse.

So there was a civil war over reproductive rights.
Okay.
And to end the war, both sides agreed that there would be no more abortion.
Got it.
But then parents can decide to have their kids unwound at the age of 13.
Wait, what?
The technology exists so that every part of the child would go to another person.
How the...?
Including their skin, major and minor organs, etc.
...
A lot of kids whose parents have signed their unwind order run away.
Go back to the part about abortion being illegal but killing grown kids isn't.
Why are you asking a perfectly valid question? So anyway...

I don't blame her. The concept of Unwind requires a suspension of disbelief, but I think that's also what makes it successful. If there's one issue that can turn seemingly normal, rational people into fucking lunatics, it's abortion. Abortion in rape cases? No, because legitimate rape doesn't lead to pregnancy. Lunacy. Discussing abortion outright is like staring straight into the sun. It won't go well. However, this dystopian future created by Neal Shusterman provides the perfect filter to discuss abortion and other topics.

I really enjoyed Unwind. Despite being an "issue" book, the issues don't take precedence over the story. I didn't stay up til 5am after driving from San Diego because of some pro-life or pro-choice message. I stayed up because I wanted to know what happened to Connor, Risa, and Lev. This is a suspenseful thriller about survival and, ultimately, children's rights. I think teens would love this book because the story deals with the powerlessness of being under 18. Parents, regardless of their own shortcomings, can choose a child's fate. Some seal their kids' fates by raising them in a belief system that requires them to sacrifice themselves. I thought my mom trying to get me to give 10% of my high school paycheck to the church was bad. Tithing in Unwind... much worse.

I love that this book made me think about organ transplants, adoption, life, death, Roe, Wade, all while I was biting off my nails because I was worried about the characters. Is someone going to sell out Connor and Risa? Where is Lev?? Unwind is a story that made me glad it wasn't plausible because the depiction of human nature was. It was a compelling, fascinating read, one that I'm glad I didn't read earlier because the wait for the sequel would've driven me out of my mind -- more so than Megan Whalen Turner already has. I'm ending this review now so I can finally get to UnWholly.

Note on the audiobook: I listened to the first half of the book on audiobook and the narrator was fantastic. I especially liked his interpretation of CyFy, who could've easily been a confusing character but wasn't.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars.

Review: Necromancing the Stone by Lish McBride

Necromancing the Stone by Lish McBride
Reviewed by Maggie: August 26, 2012
Published September 18, 2012 by Henry Holt & Company
Goodreads • Preorder at Amazon • Kindle • Book Depository



I don't get to say this nearly enough in my reviews, so I'm going to caps lock it: THIS BOOK IS SO MUCH FUN! As much as I like Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, Necromancing the Stone is even better. Not only is it more streamlined with the focus primarily on Sam, but Lish McBride fully embraces the camp.

*Jack Bauer voice* The following takes place 6 weeks after Necromancer. Sam has gone from lowly burger flipper to Head Necromancer In Charge (HNIC). He's inherited all the property of the former HNIC, Douglas, including a shapeshifting manservant, an army of mischievous gnomes, and a minotaur. (You can shut up about your Hulk, Tony Stark!) Brid is still firmly in the picture, along with her pack, who have been helping Sam train. However, just as Sam starts to settle into his new normal, a murder throws the supernatural world into upheaval.

With this book, Sam LaCroix has become one of my favorite male YA characters. He actually reminds me of another of my favorite boys -- Ed from Graffiti Moon. Like Ed, Sam is a decent, good guy. He's not particularly smooth with the ladies, and he doesn't go chest to chest with the guys either. When his fight-or-flight instinct kicks in while training with Brid's brothers, he wisely chooses flight. However, he's not an overly sensitive, poetic soul either. He's just normal... well, aside from the whole raising the dead thing. He's also sarcastic, nice, and loyal.

As much as I love a good hero, I really love a good villain. The villain in Necromancing the Stone is so great because not only does he embrace his role, he savors it. He's like Russell Edgington.

This book is a witty, snarky, pop culture feast. If there's a joke or pun to be made, McBride makes it. (Were-bears care!) If gnomes named Gnomie Malone, Gnome ChompSky, and The Darkness Known as Mittens don't convince you to read this book, how about a reference to this picture:

Yes, people. SAD KEANU! Need I say more? Okay, I'll say one more thing. Along with the puns and jokes, McBride sneaks in a message about friendship and family that is unexpectedly touching. Necromancing the Stone exceeded all my expectations. I highly recommend it and I hope there are more books in this series.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars.


I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.

Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
Reviewed by Maggie: April 17, 2012
Published March 1, 2012 by Amulet Books
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Kindle • Book Depository




If I had to describe Me and Earl and the Dying Girl in 22 words, they would be: Adaptation meets the teen version of Larry and Leon from Curb Your Enthusiasm with a dash of Troy and Abed from Community. Basically, I loved the hell out of this book. Jo, the girl with the old coat and saucy new dress, promised me a snort-laugh. I snort-laughed. In fact, I went through the book in one snort-filled sitting, which I haven't done in a while.

The premise... actually, forget about the premise. Just read the book!

Fin.

Did that actually work with anyone?
If so --> I AM THE CIRCLE AND THE CIRCLE IS ME.
If not --> Please continue reading.

I'm hesitant to include a summary of the book because it includes the c-word. The other c-word, potty mouths. Cancer. I saw this book on NetGalley for weeks and passed on it in favor of a book I haven't even read yet. The reason I passed, despite the jaunty cover, was cancer. Fuck that shit. Cancer, especially in a book, makes me think of something even worse: Nicholas Sparks. I am not a fan of cheap emotional ploys.

Cheap laughs though? I'm all in! I was into this story from the beginning, when "surprise Jew" Greg Gaines is describing the different factions vying for power in his suburban Pittsburgh high school. He gets to the church kids and their use of cookies, board games, and a Nintendo Wii to try to get fellow students to their church. Greg thinks,

"Something about it always seems a little off. Eventually, you realize: These same exact sentences are also said by child predators."

To clarify, Greg doesn't have any problems with the church kids or their religious affiliation -- he's just making an observation on their methodology. Greg doesn't have a problem with any group because he works hard at being just friendly enough with all but close to none. The only person Greg is close to is his windmill-kicking partner in filmmaking crime, Earl. Greg's had a few brushes with girls, like the time a girl in Hebrew school thought they were dating because he was flirting madly with her in an attempt to catch the eye of her hotter friend. This girl, Rachel, aka Dying Girl, gets leukemia. Greg's mother berates him into going over to her house. Cancer and hijinks, but mainly hijinks, ensue. A cat named Cat Stevens, star of such films at Cat-ablana and The Manchurian Cat-idate, plays a prominent role.

If you're the easily offended type, get some pho then read this book. It's bawdy and profane. But it's also great. Parents and family are present, more so than I've come to expect in YA books. I loved Greg, even as he tried to modestly resist. I would compare him to Adrian Mole, expect I read Adrian Mole ages ago and can't remember if the comparison is apt. (Do you like how I'm throwing it out there anyway?)

Jesse Andrews punches you in the face with his hilarious, assured debut. Highly recommended. HARF!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars.

Early Review: The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats

The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats
Reviewed by Noelle: March 27, 2012
Published April 17, 2012 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
(Noelle received an ARC of this book via the publishers on Netgalley)
Goodreads • Preorder on Amazon


 
When I saw that Netgalley described this book as a combination between Catherine, Called Birdy and Braveheart, I promptly elbowed everyone out of the way to get to a computer and press "request".  I'm so glad I did.

It's true, I have a soft spot for medieval smartasses and Cecily, one of the protagonists, indeed reminds me of Birdy with her acerbic wit and sometimes spiteful sense of humor. Over-dramatic and spoiled, Cecily is sure her life is over once her father moves the family to Wales---either she'll die of boredom or be murdered by the "savage" Welshmen.

Gwenhwyfar (Gwinny), Cecily's new Welsh servant, once aspired to be the lady of the very house Cecily is moving into but has now been relegated to second class citizen status under English rule. Underfed and overtaxed, Gwinny and her family are impoverished and struggling to survive.

This beautifully well-researched novel takes place during a volatile time.  Tensions between the native population and the occupying forces are building to a dangerous intensity and the two protagonists are smack dab in the middle of it.

This also struck me as a story about different kinds of rage--Cecily and Gwinny are both driven by it.  Cecily has the anger of entitlement.  To her, social slights and indignities are akin to actual persecution.  Meanwhile Gwinny has the rage of loss and suffering and feels the injustice of the oppressed.  She is starving and under constant threat of violence to her and her loved ones.  

Both girls are keen on justice.  But they are working on entirely different measurement scales.

The story is told from both girls' point of views and both voices are extremely charismatic.  The first three quarters of the book heavily focus on Cecily's voice and I thought the point of view emphasis was genius, especially when it flipped at the end.  It was an extremely clever choice by the author in that it drew the reader to empathize with Cecily when it wasn't always so easy.  By spending more time with her, Cecily's daily trials and tribulations and bratty yet hilarious behavior drew you into her character and made you eager for her to grow past her ignorant cruelty.  When she made any headway toward understanding, the reader leapt at the chance that this could all work out! She's going to learn her lesson! Kumbaya will be sung by all!

When Cecily and the reader realize that her small steps toward enlightenment are merely drops in the ocean of the gulf between the two protagonists' worlds, the shock is viciously effective.  Lessons are learned, but in ways I never expected and the last quarter of the book is a whirlwind of consequences.  

"Justice for those who deserve it."  The titular wicked and just aren't mutually exclusive and the result is a story captivating from beginning to end.  I highly recommend it.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars