Posted on by Maureen

Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

81zio183rclI received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I am many years beyond the target demographic, but I am a big fan of YA literature. Maybe it’s the engaging writing style, or maybe it’s the melodramatic plots. Maybe it’s both. I can remember giggling over Judy Blume’s Forever as a teen. Granted, it was already outdated when I first read it in the mid-1990s: going to Planned Parenthood for a diaphragm… but this is the book that started my fascination with the genre.

There have been many young adult novels since Forever that have tackled the delicate balance between sex and love and teenagers, and Laurie Elizabeth Flynn’s Firsts offers a new perspective on the genre. Read more

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Escape From Witchwood Hollow by Jordan Elizabeth

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I received a review request for Escape from Witchwood Hollow from someone on author Jordan Elizabeth’s marketing team. I was intrigued by the premise, and so I happily agreed to receive a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As the story begins in October 2001, Honoria has just moved to the small town of Arnn with her older brother, and her aunt and uncle. She has just lost her parents in the September 11th terrorist attacks, and her new guardians feel that it is in everyone’s best interest to leave the city and start anew upstate. They move into a historic home; her aunt dreams of converting their new abode into an inn, and Honoria starts school. Her new classmates tell her about the town folklore about the woods around the town, and how they are inhabited by a witch. People who have gone into the woods have remained last forever. After being dared/tricked into going into the woods by her new classmates, Honoria feels drawn to the woods wonders if the stories are true.   Read more

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The City of Light (Secret of the Tirthas) by Steve Griffin

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I received a review request from author Steve Griffin regarding his novel The City of Light. I was intrigued by the premise, and so I happily agreed to the request in exchange for an honest review.

The City of Light is the first book in The Secret of the Tirthas series. As the story begins, Lizzie Jones is settling into her new home; her great uncle has died, and left her mother his property. Lizzie, whose father died in the previous year, is ambivalent about country life, but she is drawn to the elaborate gardens. She discovers that one particular statue in the garden serves as a portal between her English village, and the Indian city of Kashi. It’s scientifically impossible, but Lizzie cannot deny that she is actually traveling to India each time she journeys through the portal. But she barely has time to process this fantastic secret before she realizes that there is a terrible killer afoot; not only does she need to stop the creature, but she might be its next victim! Read more

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Calvin by Martine Leavitt

51ukzkyygalI received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was not familiar with author Martine Leavitt when I received the opportunity to review her novel Calvin, but I was intrigued by the premise. My oldest daughter is a huge fan of Calvin and Hobbes, and her passion has helped me to rediscover a comic strip from my youth. I used to love reading Calvin and Hobbes with my father, who passed away a few years ago, so it is very special that my daughter loves Calvin and Hobbes as much as he did.

I do want to clarify that Leavitt’s novel Calvin is intended for a young adult audience. Calvin is the story of a young man named Calvin who believes he has a personal connection to the famous comic strip. Not only does he share a name with Calvin, but he also has a stuffed tiger named Hobbes, and he was born on the day the last strip was published. The stuffed Hobbes was lost in a washing machine accident years ago, but he has returned- except this time, Calvin is the only one who can hear Hobbes talking. This is one of the reasons that lead to Calvin’s diagnosis with schizophrenia. He is convinced that there is a connection between his life and the fictional Calvin. He needs to persuade Bill Watterson to draw one last strip in order to cure his schizophrenia. So, Calvin decides to walk across a frozen Lake Erie with his neighbor Susie in order to meet Bill Watterson. Read more

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The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz

51vr3c-zwplI have been a big fan of Laura Amy Schlitz since listening to the audio version of her novel Splendors and Glooms. So when I saw her latest novel- The Hired Girl– on the young adult news release shelf at the library, I was very excited.

This is the story of Joan Skraggs, a fourteen-year-old girl living in rural Pennsylvania in 1911. She is heartbroken at having to leave school to work on her father’s farm. She feels that her efforts are not appreciated, and inspired by an article she read in a newspaper, she goes on strike. Her father retaliates by burning her books. Joan runs away from home; she also read in the newspaper that people are paying $6 a week for hired girls. She makes her way to Baltimore, and ends up in the home of the Rosenbach family. She lies and claims to be 18, and is hired to assist Malka, the aging housekeeper. Joan- who has taken the name Janet- has never met anyone Jewish before, but she is eager to learn. Read more

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Until We Meet Again by Renee Collins

61hpjyhipllI received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was immediately intrigued by the premise of Until We Meet Again when I saw it on NetGalley. I’m a big fan of YA book, and although I’m not familiar with author Renee Collins’ other books, I’m certainly going to look out for her books in the future.

This is the story of Cassandra and Lawrence. They meet on the beach on the North Shore of Massachusetts and immediately strike up a friendship. There’s just one problem: Lawrence is actually from 1925. As inexplicable as it seems, Cass and Lawrence are able to meet regularly and then go back home to their respective eras. When Cass’ curiosity gets the best of her and she looks up Lawrence at the library, she finds out something shocking. She wants to help her new friend, but how will helping him affect the future? Read more

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These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

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I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a big fan of Jennifer Donnelly for years. A Northern Light is one of the best books that I have ever read. When I received the opportunity to read These Shallow Graves, I was very excited about the opportunity to return to the same historical era as A Northern Light.

Jo Montfort comes from a wealthy New York family. She is expected to maintain proper decorum at all times, marry a young man from an equally wealthy family, and devote her life to raising children and managing a household full of servants. Read more

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Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

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It’s probably not mandatory to read Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl before reading Carry On, but it certainly helps. Fangirl’s protagonist Cath struggled with going away to college, being separated from her twin for the first time, and the role that Simon Snow fanfiction played in her new reality. Fangirl featured excerpts of both “canon” Simon Snow, and Cath’s fanfic spin on the global literary phenomenon.

Carry On is a full length Simon Snow novel. Simon Snow is similar to another series with a famous boy wizard, but that is where the similarities end. Simon Snow’s world is wholly original. Carry On takes place during Simon’s eighth year at Watford, a school for magical children. Simon plays a unique role in the World of Mages; he is seen as the Chosen One, who will deliver them from evil. Namely, the Insidious Humdrum, who takes on the form of Simon as an eleven-year-old boy. Read more

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Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

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The medical name for “bubble boy disease” is SCID- Severe combined immunodeficiency, which became more widely known after a (fictional) character with SCID appeared in a 1992 episode of Seinfeld. Or, if you are even older than that, you might remember John Travolta’s 1976 role in The Boy in the Bubble. I’m not quite sure if either of those pop culture references are in the lexicon of today’s modern youth- the target audience for Nicola Yoon’s Everything Everything. Perhaps this book is their first exposure to the rare medical condition.

Everything Everything is the story of a girl named Maddy. She lives with her mother in an average looking house on an average block, but there is nothing normal about Maddy’s life. Maddy is severely allergic to everything, and her house is eqipped with special sensors and air filters to protect her from airborne pathogens and other things that could trigger a fatal reaction. Aside from her mother, Maddy’s only companion is her beloved nurse Carla, who has been caring for Maddy for many years. Maddy is homeschooled, and receives only occasional face-to-face visits with her tutors; most of her schooling takes place via Skype. Read more

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Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell

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I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

It cannot be denied that Cinderella has been very popular lately. There was a live action film released this past spring, and I have also recently read A Curse of Ash and Iron, which is also a steampunk retelling of Cinderella. That said, I was very excited to see Mechanica’s interpretation of the classic fairy tale.

Mechanica is a young adult novel written by Betsy Cornwell. This is the story of a young woman named Nicolette who lives with her stepmother and stepsisters. She is not treated as an equal, and is forced to work as a servant in her childhood home. When she discovers the inventor’s workshop that belonged to her mother, Nicolette sees a new world full of possibilities. Read more