Gilt by Katherine Longshore

This book is the perfect “happy medium” choice for young adult historical fiction. If you don’t like mushy historical fiction romances like “The Queen’s Lady”, but don’t want something quite as grimly intense as J. Anderson Coats’ “The Wicked and the Just”... well, then, “Gilt” by Katherine Longshore is the book for you.

Gilt is full of gorgeous scenery, fancy dresses, passion, lies, betrayal and blooooooood. How can there not be blood when Henry VIII’s around? The book opens with Kitty and Cat, best friends, exploring the guardian’s rooms and trying on her things. The duchess has taken in many of the extended family’s unwanted daughters (most distant relations) and uses them as servants until she eventually marries them off. Throughout the story, we see Kitty grow from a quiet girl who would do anything for her friend Cat into a young woman who finally sees the world around her for what it really is. It just takes her awhile and we, as readers, are along for the ride and once she gets drawn into Henry’s court, we hold our breaths seeing if Kitty and her friends will survive the intrigue and deceit of courtly life.

Ms. Longshore’s writing is superb. It flows quickly and while she describes the court, castles, etc, it doesn’t get bogged down with description. It’s still a book you can devour, which says a lot for Ms. Longshore’s ability to write a tight, well-paced plot. That is no easy feat in a 398 page piece of historical fiction! There is some romance, but it is a device for Kitty’s self discovery and the intrigue at court. As her friend Cat says, there is no room for love in the court of Henry VIII. So those of you who are squeamish about mushy gushy romance will be safe reading this book.

Ms. Longshore’s “Gilt” is a well paced and exciting read that could open the door to readers who are hesitant about trying historical fiction. Henry the VIII’s court is not a safe place. Read “Gilt” and see if you can finish without losing your head! ;o)

I received an ARC of “Gilt” from the publisher, Viking Juvenile (Penguin). Ms. Longshore will be joining us on the Authors are ROCKSTARS! podcast in the month of May. If you have any questions you’d like to ask her, please let me know!

One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo, Illustrated by David Small

Okay, so I'll be honest. This book is not really E's Pick of the Week. It's Mommy's Pick though. E loves looking through it and we read it while we're doing looong sits on the potty. However, it definitely is for a more mature audience. You know, 5 year olds. ;o)

It's a cute story about a misunderstanding between one very proper young man named Elliot and his father. He asks his father if he can take home a penguin from the aquarium. His father believes he means the plush version. Silliness ensues. While the writing is fantastic, the illustrations are what really drew me in. They are black & white with only hints of color. They are simply stunning and really express the humor of Ms Buzzeo's adorkable (yes, adorkable) story.

"One Cool Friend" would be perfect for the more patient toddler (potty time makes for a captive audience!), but would be best for the late preschool-K age group. It was just published this year by Dial (Penguin).

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

“Born Wicked” by Jessica Spotswood is one fabulous debut novel. I *adored* it. It was full of delicious intrigue, yummy romances, and tantalizing magic. Obviously, I need to eat, but you better watch out “Born Wicked”. Sometimes, I eat books. Om nom nom. Delicious.

In this alternate version of New England, witches were in power until a few generations ago when a religious order called the Brotherhood massacred them. The survivors hid their magical inheritance from the world in order to avoid persecution. Cate and her sisters have continued that tradition, not even their father knows of their abilities (or that of his deceased wife). After a promise she made to her mother, she has dedicated her life to her sisters’ protection. They don’t always appreciate her hard work, but she is determined not to let her mother down. However, she only has six months left before the Brotherhood forces her into a marriage or a chaste religious life in the Sisterhood. After a mysterious letter and the discovery of her mom’s diary, things go from difficult to near impossible and Cate has to figure out a way to save those she loves the most from persecution and from each other.

This structure of this book is magnificent. If you’re a regular reader, you’ve heard me complain before about books that are all back story, very little plot with commercially designed (instead of story driven) cliffhangers. They drive me insane. It’s lazy writing in my opinion. Well, this book is the perfect example of cliffhanger perfection. It breaks your heart, but doesn’t leave wondering where the rest of the book went. Obviously, the overall story is far from finished, but this first installment wasn’t all back story. There was a lot going on and the action of the book had an ending that left you wanting more, but not feeling cheated. The world is well developed, the characters are real and fun, and the romance so lovely. It has so many elements that I love - witches, sisters (I have two younger sisters too!), mushy gushy romance, and dark & mysterious happenings.

GOLD star to Jessica Spotswood. I am dying to find out what happens next and am still feeling heartbroken for the sacrifice Cate had to make.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher (Penguin) to review. Jessica Spotswood will be joining us on our Road Trip Edition of the Breathless Reads panel at Passion & Prose. Click here for more Breathless Reads tour dates.

Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle

Eric Carle's "Mister Seahorse" has quickly become a favorite and was a no brainer for E's Pick of the Week. It's the story of a father seahorse exploring the ocean and learning about other father fish who are caring for their eggs/babies, just like he is! Along the way, he meets sees other types of fish hiding along his path (using a gimmick of see through plastic pictures which E thinks is SO cool). The book is full of the illustrations you love from Eric Carle in many bright, beautiful colors. We have only owned this book for 48 hours and I have already read it at least 8 times. My husband has also read it a couple times as well. E may be a bit obsessed. ;)

Eric Carle's "Mister Seahorse" is sure to enrapture any young fish lover, such as my little guy. It also makes a wonderful gift for new dads. I always love finding a book about Dads and how much they love their children.

"Mister Seahorse" is published by Philomel (Penguin) and is available in hardcover & board book form. We have the board book! :)

Vlog Review: A Million Suns by Beth Revis

So, vlogging when the toddler is not napping is super fun. Most of the time he was eating, but then he got noisy. Then the animals got noisy. I cut it all out, but it makes for a bit of a choppy ride. Plus, I had to finish up after he was down so you'll notice lighting/scenery changes. LOL. Now I know...never attempt vlogging when the toddler is awake. :)

I didn't think it was possible to like "A Million Suns" more than I liked "Across the Universe", but I did. Listen to me blab on and on in this very silly (per usual) vlog review.



"Across the Universe" and "A Million Suns" are published by Razorbill (Penguin). I was provided with a copy to review by the publisher. Ms. Revis will be joining us on the podcast in the month of February, so if you have any questions for her, now is the time to ask. We'll try to include as many listener questions as possible on the podcast.

EDIT: We are giving away one pass to the Passion & Prose conference which Ms. Revis will be attending. Check it out.

Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer (Nightshade Series)

Before I get into the juiciness of Andrea Cremer's series finale, "Bloodrose", first let me say - HAPPY NEW YEAR, folks. I think it's going to be a fantastic year. We have so many awesome interviews lined up for Authors are ROCKSTARS!, including one with Ms. Cremer. I'll also be participating in the Debut Author Challenge from The Story Siren and I set my Goodreads.com Reading Challenge goal to 100 books. I am determined to make this an awesome year for YA in my life. How about you? Anything exciting planned book wise?

Well I know that Dana B. and Angela who won my epic blogiversary giveaway are going to have an awesome start to the new year. Thank you so much to all that entered. Over 280 tickets involved! You guys ROCK. I'll get back to my monthly giveaways in February, so stay subscribed. I love giving away signed books. Also, be sure to head on over to the podcast. We do signed book and swag giveaways over there as well. :)

Now without further ado... my "Bloodrose" review!

Wow. I finished this book breathing a little heavy with tears in my eyes. After those evil cliffhangers in "Nightshade" and "Wolfsbane", you knew that Ms. Cremer was going to pack a punch with "Bloodrose". What a punch it was too! Seriously. My face still hurts. ;)

Without getting too spoilery, this book will make you so proud of Calla. She comes into her own as alpha and learns how to truly follow her heart. She finds her freedom as a wolf, as a person and as a woman in love. Have tissues ready, folks. The road isn't easy and is full of heart break and angst. I mean come on, that's essential to the recipe of a top notch action packed paranormal YA book, right? It'd be like making chicken noodle soup without the chicken.

Anyways, I personally loved the ending of this series and am excited to see what delicious works of art Ms. Cremer cooks up for us next.

If you have questions for Ms. Cremer, please leave a comment here and I'll include them in our list for her podcast interview on January 11th.

I was provided with an ARC of "Bloodrose" from the publisher, Philomel (Penguin). It is scheduled to be released tomorrow, January 3rd. Set your alarms so you can be at the bookstore at open to get this fabulous series finale.

Legend by Marie Lu

Okay apparently it is dystopian week on my blog! First the awesome “Birthmarked” series on Friday, now “Legend” by Marie Lu! Whoo! Yay Dystopians!!

Well, as I mentioned on Friday, I love a good dystopian. Mm mm. Nothing like reading about other people’s troubles to make you realize how awesome your life is right? (I think the song Schaudenfreude from “Avenue Q” has been running through my head too much!) In all seriousness though, it’s a form of fantasy that is (most of the time) grounded a bit more in reality. I love it. Marie Lu’s contribution “Legend” is a FUN one.

Ms. Lu uses two different narrators to tell this story - Day, who is living a young man living on the streets, and June, a wealthy young woman and star pupil of the regime in power. It’s set in Los Angeles, now part of the Republic. One day, these two unknowingly become intimated connected when Day, a “Robin Hood” type, becomes the prime suspect in the murder of June’s beloved brother. June strikes out to avenge her brother, all the while Day is still struggling to save a family who has been infected with a dangerous disease. Both individually are brilliant, but when they learn what the Republic will do in order to stay in power, they become a force to be reckoned with.

As I said, this book is a lot of fun. I can totally see why it got picked up almost instantaneously to become a movie. It’s going to be fantastic on the big screen. It also is pretty darn tootin’ good in book form, even the audiobook is fabulous! I actually think I enjoyed the audiobook more. It was so interesting to have such two distinct voices for the narrators. Despite being a voice actor, sometimes my head got a little fuzzy bouncing back and forth. I think Day sometimes came off a little feminine... not sure how to describe it. It just was fuzzy at times in my head. Hearing it though? Super clear! I’ve never listened to an audiobook after reading. It was interesting. Now I can’t wait to see the movie in a year or two to make the cycle complete! ;)

I received an ARC from the publisher for review. "Legend" is being released TOMORROW - November 29th. Marie will actually be on our podcast next month over at Authors are ROCKSTARS! and we’ll be giving away a signed ARC. :D

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

I keep changing my star rating on Goodreads.com for this one. I had a good time reading it, but in the end, it didn’t really blow me away.

Side rant: I don’t know why I even bother star rating except that I want my reviews to show up when people sort through them. I know I sort through and try to read 2 reviews from each star rating before deciding to read a book. (Yes, I’m that crazy. I know, I know!) I feel like when I rate something as “3 stars”, it is like saying it is bad by Goodreads.com standards, but I don’t want to rate everything I read 4 or 5 stars. What do you guys do?

Anyways, moving on. This story is advertised with quotes about being romantic and full of mystery, with quotes from paranormal and fantasy queens like Cassandra Clare and Holly Black. I was expecting something more paranormal and less standard murder mystery. It does involve some strange happenings that turn out to be paranormal in the end, but it just wasn’t enough for me.

Rory Deveraux, of New Orleans, chooses to go off to boarding school in London for her senior year, rather than move to Bristol along with her parents. She figures this way she can see her parents, but experience London city life. On the day of Rory’s arrival in London, a woman is brutally murdered a la Jack the Ripper’s first victim. It also happened to be the anniversary of that murder. The area around her school is the Ripper’s old turf and Rippermania takes over as more of the murders are recreated by a mysterious murderer who evades all the CCTV cameras. On the night of one of the murders, Rory sneaks out to go over to the boys dorm with her roommate and on her way back, she sees and speaks to a man that her roommate didn’t see at all, despite the fact that he was directly in her field of vision. The next day, she awakes to find her school abuzz with fear and excitement. A woman was murdered in their courtyard and she realizes that she’s the only witness. Suddenly, strange people are entering Rory’s life. Smeets with a strange and curt policeman, after the regular line of questioning was completed. She then gets a surprise late entry new roomie who will not leave her alone. As she unravels all the mysteries around her, she finds surprise discoveries about herself and why she was the only one to see the man that night.

It was a terribly fun murder mystery though. Maureen Johnson writes in a fun and easy-to-read format that will appeal to even the more reluctant readers. This is definitely not a book to read before bed (a lesson I learned the hard way). It can be downright gruesome and really friggin’ scary. Those last few chapters... phew! My heart was palpitating and my palms were sweaty.

Maybe murder mysteries just aren’t my thing? I’ve read too few to make a judgement call for me, but if you love ‘em, you should definitely check this out. I think you’ll enjoy the ride. I am interested to see where this series goes and will definitely be reading book two.

I received an ARC from the publisher for review. "The Name of the Star" was published by Putnam Juvenile on September 29th.

1-2-3: A Child's First Counting Book by Alison Jay

E's Pick of the Week today is a book by one of my favorite illustrators, Alison Jay! I was first introduced to Ms. Jay's work by the covers of the Bayern series by Shannon Hale. She has a whimsical style that really suits the fairy tales she is referencing in this book. It is a very simple book, just counting up to 10 and back down. Each number is showcased with a fairy tale reference. For example, three little pigs or nine golden eggs. The illustrations are gorgeous and I love that it also works on counting down. Now I want to get one of Ms. Jay's prints for E's room! :D

1-2-3: A Child's First Counting Book by Alison Jay is published by Dutton Juvenile (Penguin) and is available in board book & hardcover. I purchased my copy at Vroman's in Pasadena.

Audiobook Review - Juliet Immortal by Stacy Jay, Narrated by Justine Eyre

This book surprised me. I have to admit - I was really apprehensive going into it. The story is a very unique spin off of Romeo & Juliet. In this version, Juliet and Romeo were two real teens who fell in love back in medieval Italy. Their story ended tragically, but not from starcrossed love. Romeo sold Juliet out in exchange for immortality to a society of paranormal beings that feed on negativity. Juliet ends up working against Romeo throughout the centuries for another group of paranormal beings who try to protect soul mates from the evil “mercenaries”.

Pretty wild, right? It is a bit out there, but it’s really well told. The voice of Juliet is full of angst over her lost life and her struggles with her current plane of existence. She now fights for the good guys, coming out of the “mists” to borrow and inhabit a body of someone within the vicinity of the soul mates she’s bound to protect. In turn, while she’s occupying that body, she tries to improve the life of the temporarily evicted soul. The story begins when Juliet inhabits a new body, a troubled young woman named Ariel. This cycle though is different than her others. Things are not all they appear to be and for the first time in 700 years, Juliet begins to have feelings for another human being. Can Juliet save the soulmates she’s been sent to protect and save herself in the process?

Wow, that was really hard to write! The book is complex, full of angsty twists. It’s a really different read that I think would appeal to paranormal fans and people who prefer more contemporary stories since most of the book takes place in a sort of normal high school setting. (Okay, how normal can it be when Romeo & Juliet are occupying bodies that don’t belong to them?) The narrator for this audiobook is a great actress, but her voice sounds really old. Like, I thought she could be Juliet’s grandmother. The actress isn’t old (I googled her) and voices a lot of YA audiobooks. Meh, to each their own, but her voice didn’t work for me. I almost had to turn the book off and switch to reading this book instead of listening. Ms. Eyre just has this vocal fry/texture going on that gives her voice so much depth and age. It was hard to buy that she was a 14 year old girl trapped in the body of a slightly older teen. I’m picky though about my audiobook narrators since I am one myself, so keep that in mind.

“Juliet Immortal” is a very different take on paranormal romance. It’s very angsty. It also has some very gruesome descriptions and violence, so I wouldn’t recommend it for younger teen readers. If you’re looking for something completely new though, this is definitely a book you should try. It was an enjoyable, unique read.

"Juliet Immortal" was published in August of this year by Delacorte. The audiobook was produced by Listening Library. I purchased it through Audible.com.

Spot Goes to the Park by Eric Hill

We're back! Sorry about not posting a "E's Pick of the Week" last week. E came down with a really bad cold, then I caught it! It was a rough week, but we're back and ready to roll. This week's pick is "Spot Goes to the Park" by Eric Hill. Yup, another Spot book. E is obsessed with Spot (or as he calls him, "fot" because his "sp" sound is still coming along). This is another flap book with lots of fun things for your little guy or gal to find. E has all the flap parts memorized now and he is in charge of "reading" them to me. It's so adorable! It's a must read for any little one who loves puppies and going to the park.

"Spot Goes to the Park" is published by Putnam Juvenile and is available in hardcover, paperback and board book form.

Peter Rabbit Sleepy Time

E is still crazy for bunnies this week, so he has been obsessed with this cute book in the eco-friendly Peter Rabbit Naturally Better series I had reviewed awhile back. This week’s title is Peter Rabbit Sleepy Time. It’s a cute little board book with a lot of flaps, a feature E always loves. What I really like about this flap book though is that it is even more interactive. Instead of just flipping up the flaps to read what is underneath, there are two flaps on the page. The second flap is a blanket of some sort that you use to cover up the character on the page. It’s so cute! E just loves tucking in all the creatures. Plus as I mentioned, it’s an eco-friendly book using sustainable and environmentally friendly materials which I love. The soy-based inks create a perfect pallet for Beatrix Potter’s Peter and friends.

Peter Rabbit Sleepy Time is part of the Peter Rabbit Naturally Better series and is published by Warne (Penguin). They are available online and in your local bookstore’s board book section!

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

This is going to be the shortest review I have ever written. Why? Well, because this book is indescribably beautiful, haunting and surreal. I don’t want to have my weak words cloud your judgement. This is not a book I’d usually read, but the cover was so beautiful and my sisters are two of the most important people in the world to me... so I decided to give it a read. I’m glad I did. I will be honest with you. It was tough for me to read at times. You won’t burn through this in one sitting like the cotton candy or addictive style YA reads. The prose is absolutely gorgeous and the plot.. well it’s a bit of a mindf@*%. Honestly still trying to wrap my head around what was reality, what was in Chloe’s imagination, etc. I seriously cannot describe it. It’s magical, mysterious, frightening, and ethereal. That’s all I can really say. If you like books that make you question what is real and what isn’t or if you have a sister that you love more than anything, this book is a must read.

Imaginary Girls is published by Dutton (Penguin). It came out in June of this year. I bought my own copy because I wanted to get the talented author to autograph it during our August special edition interview of Authors are ROCKSTARS! Go get your own copy and listen to the interview. :D

Spot says Goodnight by Eric Hill

We’re back from vacation so there is a Pick of the Week for you today. (This is where you rejoice.) Today’s Pick is from the Spot series...it's “Spot says Goodnight”. We just picked this book up in a small town in Northern Wisconsin while on vacation. E fell in love with the adorable puppy Spot on this vacation! We ended up reading this book to him 4x each night we were there and while on the plane. Unfortunately, we left it on the plane so I need to hit the local bookstore and get a copy!

This board book is fun for any infant or toddler. It has flaps which always are a big hit with E. It’s quick, simple to understand, and a great addition to the night time routine.

"Spot says Goodnight" is published by Putnam Juvenile and is available in hardcover and board book form.

Peter Rabbit Munch by Beatrix Potter

E’s Pick of the Week this week is from the very cool eco-friendly line of Peter Rabbit board books published by Warne (Penguin). His choice this week is “Peter Rabbit Munch”, an adorable little story that teaches children to countdown from 5 to 1! Not only does the book have adorable illustrations, but the pages slowly get chewed away as Peter Rabbit chows down on Mr. MacGregor’s garden. My son absolutely loves the texture of the chewed pages! It’s something new and right now, keeping things new and fresh is really important to keep him focused. I mean, he’s almost 2 years old after all. The world is new and exciting. It’s hard to stop exploring, even to read a book which he loves doing!

We are a very earth conscious family, so having the book come from sustainable and recyclable sources was a really cool added bonus for us. I will definitely be going back to my local bookstore and picking up the rest of the books in the series!

The Peter Rabbit Naturally Better book series is published by Warne (Penguin) and is available at your local bookstore or online.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

“Anna and the French Kiss” by Stephanie Perkins is a-freakin-dorable so READ IT NOW. There. That’s all I need to say, right? Seriously though, this book is so fun and romantic. I do not normally like contemporary young adult fiction and I absolutely adore this book. I went out and bought a couple copies of it to give to my sisters and my best friend.

Anna is sent away to Paris by her nouveau riche father (who is an author a la Nicolas Sparks..mwahaha, nice touch Ms. Perkins) for her senior year of high school in an effort to broaden her horizons and make him look super fancy. As if leaving her best friend and guy friend (def boyfriend potential) behind wasn’t hard enough, she’s thrown into the world of upper-crust snobbery in a country where she doesn’t even speak the language! Luckily, she falls into a great group of friends and meets the perfect guy, Etienne St. Clair. He’s a Parisian, whose also American, but has lived extensively in London so he has a British accent. Plus, add in the fact that he’s an incredibly nice guy and is slowly becoming her best friend. Perfect right? Oh yeah, there’s just one little hiccup - she’s maybe-sorta-kinda taken by that potential boyfriend back home and he’s in a long term relationship. Yowza.

To be honest, the description of the book didn’t have me convinced. As I said earlier, I’m not a big fan of contemporary YA. I’m more of a fantasy/paranormal/historical gal myself. I decided to take the plunge and give “Anna and the French Kiss” 50 pages... if it hooked me, great, but if not, I’d go back to my comfort zone. It had me in less than five pages. The writing is just so sharp, fresh, and charming. I instantly loved Anna and Etienne. I cared so deeply about their happiness and let’s face it, I’m always a sucker for best friend romances. (Yes, Twilight fans, I was unabashedly Team Jacob and will continue to pretend that “Breaking Dawn” never happened. Ugh.) For a teen romance, it is so wonderfully realistic too. It’s so very real and sweet. There is no crazy love triangle. There is no lusty instant sexual connection. It’s real world love and it’s beautiful.

This book will have you saying “oo la la!” Seriously, I know I’m being a total cornball here, but I cannot stress enough that if you like LOVE, you will ADORE Stephanie Perkins’ “Anna and the French Kiss”. And if you don’t like love, um, please go get help.

I know this came out a little while ago, but I just had the opportunity to read it recently (thanks Lalitha for loaning it to me!). I now own my own. :D You can get your very own copy at your favorite bookstore. It is published by Dutton Juvenile (Penguin).

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

I finished this book last week, but didn’t get to sitting down and writing a review until now. This emotionally poignant novel shows us a World War 2/Holocaust story that many haven’t heard before. In “Between Shades of Gray”, we follow the story of one young woman who was taken away in the middle of the night from all she knew and forced to work in prison camps, being accused of being a criminal, and losing everything dear to her. This girl wasn’t Jewish like beloved Anne Frank though and it wasn’t the Nazis. This girl was from Lithuania and living under the oppressive hand of Stalin. The book is written in the style of first person reflections that in the end, we find out have been published to let everyone know about this little told story. The victims of Stalin’s oppression were treated as criminals even after their release and were forced to never speak of the torture they endured. This story is fiction, but its basis is not. Drawing on research, talking to families of survivors, and on her own family’s story of survival, Ruta Sepetys paints a vivid picture of the cruelty of war and injustice.

It is well written and for a historical novel and a very quick read. The chapters are short, but powerful. I wouldn’t read it without a box of tissues near by. It’s a tear jerker, but it is also inspiring. Lina is just a girl when she and her family are taken, but quickly grows into the woman she needs to be for her family. She is a character I think a lot of young adults can relate to, despite the incredible difference in situation.

This book is wonderful for anyone who loves historical fiction based on true stories. The way it is written appeals to adult and teen readers (who may have a shorter attention span for historical fiction). I think this would be a great book to accompany any lesson plan regarding WWII and shine light on a situation that not many know about.

Powerful stuff... well done, Ms. Sepetys.

I was provided with an ARC from Penguin for review (thanks!). “Between Shades of Grey” by Ruta Sepetys is scheduled to be released March 22nd.

Nightshade and Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

I devoured “Nightshade” and “Wolfsbane” by Andrea Cremer over a period of 48 hours and they were delicious. Seriously, these books are worth staying up late for.. and that’s a big sacrifice considering I have a toddler who thinks 5:30AM is a wonderful time to be awake. What makes them so great? Well let’s review Michelle’s paranormal/fantasy YA romance checklist and talk about it, shall we?

• Strong female heroine - CHECK. Calla is KICK ASS. She not only possesses some awesome powers and skills from being able to transform into a wolf, but she’s a strong willed person. The events of this book rock her safe little world and she has to deal with emotions she hasn’t really experienced. I loved seeing Calla discover her own vulnerability and the injustices in her world’s society. I look forward to seeing her grow more from these experiences in the third book.
• Love triangle (and not one of those “wimpy maybe I sorta like this guy, but this guy is clearly the winner despite guy #2”) - CHECK and it is angst-i-licious. Yes, so much that I had to make up a word for it.
• Creative Paranormal/Fantasy elements - CHECK! I love the world within our world that Ms. Cremer has created.
• Good writing - again, CHECK-A-ROONY. Ms. Cremer’s writing is exciting and fluid. I didn’t ever feel the need to stop because of some bad phrasing or ridiculous situation. She does a great job at foreshadowing without frustrating the reader (a problem I’ve run into a lot recently in YA paranormal books) and she didn’t do any crazy deus ex machina stuff to rush through explanations. She was able to maintain an element of suspense throughout while giving the reader little bursts of knowledge. Well done, Ms. Cremer.
• Great action sequences and suspense - I know I already mentioned this when I discussed the writing, but wow. Ms. Cremer got my heart pounding during some of these big action sequences.

Yeah, so I’d have to say Ms. Cremer’s “Nightshade” series is all that and a bag of chips. If you like paranormal/fantasy young adult romance, this should DEFINITELY be on your list. I know that the genre is an acquired taste, but it’s one of my favorites. I am anxiously awaiting the third book in this triology.

I was provided with an ARC of "Wolfsbane" by the publisher at the ALA Midwinter Conference. "Nightshade" is already available and "Wolfsbane" will be released in July of this year. It is published by Philomel (Penguin). Go to your local bookstore or library and pick up a copy of Nightshade today.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Okay. I’ve been reading a lot of book reviews lately (since you know, I like other people reading mine so I feel like I should share the love) and it seems to me that people just love to write good reviews. I see so many glowing reviews of books I didn’t like at all and I wonder if maybe I read a different book? I don’t know. I just don’t want to become that type of reviewer where everything is “OMG INCREDIBLE” or done in my best “Comic Book Guy” voice... “Best…Book…EVER.” I want to be honest and tell you what I really think. I hope that you, the reader, will appreciate that.

That being said, let’s get on with the review of today’s book. “Across the Universe” by Beth Revis is a dystopian science fiction novel about two teens who have had their world turned completely turned topsy-turvy. Amy was cryogenically frozen and was mysteriously unplugged decades early. Elder finds out that the world he thought he knew was just an illusion. Together, they discover the truth about the world around them and each other.

The author calls it “a sci fi for teens who don't like sci fi” on her Twitter account profile. What do I call it? Pretty darn awesome, that’s what. However, I have a confession to make. I am a science fiction nerd. I know I know. Not a big surprise considering I am pretty geeky in general, but yeah. I love science fiction. I went as Deanna Troi for Halloween in 5th grade. I’ve always wanted to live on a space ship someday like the Enterprise. So when I read the description for Ms. Revis’ book, I knew I just had to read it. I was lucky enough to pick up an ARC copy at ALA. Thank you Penguin!

Well, now it’s time to talk about the good and the bad. Go go action bullet points!

• “Across the Universe” is an example that top-notch writing can come from a debut author! The prose flows smoothly back and forth between the two characters perspectives. Amy and Elder both have their own identifiable voice, but the transition is never too jarring for the reader. For science fiction, she keeps it light enough that even a non-science fiction reader can enjoy it. It never gets overly technical or bogged down with explanations.
• Showing instead of telling - this was something I was harping on last review. Ms. Revis does an amazing job at this. She has some great resources on her website for aspiring writers, including a WHOLE section on this subject matter. It really makes the book come alive and allows the reader to fully connect to the characters since you are experiencing things along with them.
• The Characters:
• Amy is definitely a teenage girl who has teenage wants and dreams, but she also is able to face this incredibly awful situation she’s been put in without losing herself. She is strong, but yet still vulnerable. She’s just so real and that’s not easy to do when you put someone into cryogenic sleep then wake her up on a spaceship full of problems.
• Elder is such an intriguing character. He is naïve, yet strong. Born to be a leader of the people of Godspeed, he knows that when push comes to shove, he’s got to step up to the plate. He’s the character that grows the most throughout this novel. He starts as this innocent boy and becomes a true leader by the end.
• The Secondary Characters – Harley, Doc, you name it. They were all great and I felt like we got to know each of them a little bit without losing focus on our two leads.
• The Ending – I didn’t even know this was the first in a trilogy until I went to Ms. Revis’ website! She left me wanting more, but still left me with a satisfied feeling at the end. THANK YOU.

Honestly, I don’t really have too much to say that is negative. I think Ms. Revis did a great job writing a great young adult novel that will appeal to the teenagers and adult readers alike. The sci-fi is simple enough for those that don’t usually care for it and engaging enough for those that love it. It’s not the most creative or ingenious book I’ve ever read, but it is solid, well written, and has characters you really care about. I would gladly read this book again, even after unlocking all the secrets with Elder and Amy.

I will definitely be adding Ms. Revis to my favorite author list and watching for her next novels to be released!

Thanks to Penguin Group/Razorbill Books at the ALA Midwinter Meeting for the ARC of “Across the Universe”. It’s already available at bookstores and online. Get your copy today!