Just A Little Bit Of Pixie Dust.....

Unhooked

by Lisa Maxwell

Hardcover, 342 pages

Published February 2nd 2016 by Simon Pulse

ISBN: 9781481432047

Library/ Met Author at Anderson’s YA Conference

About:

For as long as she can remember, Gwendolyn Allister has never had a place to call home—all because her mother believes that monsters are hunting them. Now these delusions have brought them to London, far from the life Gwen had finally started to build for herself. The only saving grace is her best friend, Olivia, who’s coming with them for the summer.

But when Gwen and Olivia are kidnapped by shadowy creatures and taken to a world of flesh-eating sea hags and dangerous Fey, Gwen realizes her mom might have been sane all along.

The world Gwen finds herself in is called Neverland, yet it’s nothing like the stories. Here, good and evil lose their meaning and memories slip like water through her fingers. As Gwen struggles to remember where she came from and find a way home, she must choose between trusting the charming fairy-tale hero who says all the right things and the roguish young pirate who promises to keep her safe.

With time running out and her enemies closing in, Gwen is forced to face the truths she’s been hiding from all along. But will she be able to save Neverland without losing herself? (Goodreads)

Rating: 3 Stars

Review:

I’m a huge Peter Pan fan…. Let me alter that a bit…. I’m a huge Captain Hook fan.

At first glance this book seemed right up my alley. A more modern retelling of the story. One where Hook is not evil but Peter might be.

All my hopes were dashed when they gave Hook a completely different name (Rowan) and a metal magic arm instead of a hook.

The first chunk of the book before Gwen gets kidnapped is slow. Once she gets to Neverland things are predictable and not well developed. I did enjoy how each chapter started with a little piece of a soldier’s story and how that story tied in, but I wish there was more to that.

I did like Rowan (aka wannabe Hook). He was rough, tough, and handsome. But he was not quite Hook. There wasn’t really much that I liked about Gwen. There wasn’t much I liked about Peter. All of the other characters we never really learned much about so they were useless.

This book gets points for sort of being unique. The mother and Gwen’s background play an interesting part of the story.  Rowan’s background was interesting as well. I wish that both were explained more though.

Overall, I give this book only three stars. It had potential, but missed the mark and was under developed. It could be that I’m a huge Peter Pan nerd though. I think teens who enjoy retellings could easily get into this book, but I’d give them titles like Everland or Peter and the Star Catchers first.

A Realistic Read To Make You Think

That's Not What Happened

by Kody Keplinger

Hardcover, 329 pages

Published August 28th 2018 by Scholastic Press

 ISBN: 9781338186529

Library/ Met at Andersons’s YA Literature Conference 2018

About:

It's been three years since the Virgil County High School Massacre. Three years since my best friend, Sarah, was killed in a bathroom stall during the mass shooting. Everyone knows Sarah's story--that she died proclaiming her faith. 

But it's not true. 

I know because I was with her when she died. I didn't say anything then, and people got hurt because of it. Now Sarah's parents are publishing a book about her, so this might be my last chance to set the record straight . . . but I'm not the only survivor with a story to tell about what did--and didn't--happen that day. 

Except Sarah's martyrdom is important to a lot of people, people who don't take kindly to what I'm trying to do. And the more I learn, the less certain I am about what's right. I don't know what will be worse: the guilt of staying silent or the consequences of speaking up . . . (Goodreads)

Rating: 4 Stars

Review:

This wasn’t you average school shooting book. While there were flashbacks to the actual shooting, the majority of the book happened three years later and deals with what the surviving victims are going through. There were misconceptions that occurred during the initial investigation, mostly dealing with a cross that was found in the bathroom and who it belonged to and what was said by the person wearing it. The media picked up on one person’s view and it spread like wildfire until it became the truth and anyone saying otherwise became a target. Kody does a wonderful job of showing just how far people will go to protect their beliefs and how far others will go to get the truth out.

I enjoyed that this was a different take on school shootings. The writing was well done and realistic. It lost a star from me because there was just something about the characters that I didn’t care for. I’m not sure what it was, but they just kind of bugged me. I did like that the book focused on the survivors and the victims though, and not the shooter. The shooters name is never mentioned and either are their motives. I liked that the victims came from all sorts of backgrounds and it shed a light on them in a way that showed that no one is perfect.

Overall, I’d say this was a decent read. I’d recommend it to older teens looking for a book on the subject matter. Some scenes could possibly be a bit intense for younger readers and due to content some scenes could be a trigger for some people who have PTSD, depression, anxiety, drug or alcohol abuse, were involved in gun violence and possibly other things.

On a side note, I had the pleasure of hearing Kody Keplinger speak earlier this month at the Anderson’s YA Literature Conference. She seems like an awesome person with a lot of personality. She’s also a geek like me, so respect to that. She talked a lot about how telling stories helped her figure out what she cares for and who she is. She also talked about how she puts a little bit of herself and her experiences into all of her stories. I’ve read a couple of her other books and they’ve all been pretty good so far. If you’re looking for a new author’s work to explore, she might be one you’ll want to check out for realistic fiction. 

A Light Summer Read!

Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink (Pilgrims #1)

by Stephanie Kate Strohm

Paperback, 204 pages

Published May 8th 2012 by HMH Books for Young Readers

ISBN13: 9780547564593

Signed Copy From YA Conference

About:

Libby Kelting had always felt herself born out of time. No wonder the historical romance-reading, Jane Austen-adaptation-watching, all-around history nerd jumped at the chance to intern at Camden Harbor, Maine’s Oldest Living History Museum. But at Camden Harbor Libby’s just plain out of place, no matter how cute she looks in a corset. Her cat-loving coworker wants her dead, the too-smart-for-his-own-good local reporter keeps pushing her buttons, her gorgeous sailor may be more shipwreck than dreamboat — plus Camden Harbor’s haunted. Over the course of one unforgettable summer, Libby learns that boys, like ghosts, aren’t always what they seem. (Goodreads)

Rating: 4 Stars

Review:

A cute, contemporary, summer camp story. Unfortunately, there’s nothing to special or stand outish about this book. It’s your basic YA summer romance story with a bit of comedy thrown in. It’s short and sweet which makes it a good beach or plane read. There’s historical geekyness to it with a touch of ghost stories which gives it a little something… but not enough to really be remember able. The cover is a little old fashioned for 2018. The main character is hiding an older cell phone in her dress on the cover and you might find kids asking what it is. If they get past the cover though and pick it up to read, the characters are likable and the story moves along quickly. It was a fun read and there is a second book (Confederates Don't Wear Couture ) in the series which I am curious to pick up at some point. I think this is one of the author’s first books. I read her other book Prince in Disguise and could really see improvement in her writing.   Pilgrim’s Don’t Wear Pink is not a clean read. There is underage drinking at a big party that younger teens might not be ready for. Other’s who are looking for a cute quick summer read should pick up this book .

P.S.
I met Stephanie Kate Strohm back in October at a YA Conference. She was awesome in person. Check out my YA Conference Posts to see her autograph and learn a bit more about her! 

It's A Pirate Life...

Daughter of the Siren Queen (Daughter of the Pirate King #2)

by Tricia Levenseller

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published February 27th 2018 by Feiwel and Friends

ISBN13: 9781250096012

Checked Out From Library

About:

Alosa's mission is finally complete. Not only has she recovered all three pieces of the map to a legendary hidden treasure, but the pirates who originally took her captive are now prisoners on her ship. Still unfairly attractive and unexpectedly loyal, first mate Riden is a constant distraction, but now he's under her orders. And she takes great comfort in knowing that the villainous Vordan will soon be facing her father's justice.

When Vordan exposes a secret her father has kept for years, Alosa and her crew find themselves in a deadly race with the feared Pirate King. Despite the danger, Alosa knows they will recover the treasure first . . . after all, she is the daughter of the Siren Queen. (Goodreads)

Rating: 4 Stars

Review:

I was so excited to finally get the sequel to Daughter Of The Pirate King. While it wasn’t as good as the first one (book 2 had a bit to much romance in it for my liking and loses a star for that) it still held it’s own as a good read. Who wouldn’t love a strong, fierce, adventurous female pirate story? The action in this story hardly ever stops, which makes this an extremely quick read. Sword fighting, witty retorts, canons, betrayals, battles with sirens… it’s all there. Put the two books together and you’ve almost got a female version of Pirates of the Caribbean. The end of this book left me wishing that there were going to be more adventures for Alosa and her crew. Sadly from what the author said when I saw her at C2E2 on April 6th, 2018, this was the end of the series. The good news, however, is that she mentioned that she might do a spinoff for the series. She left us guessing as to who the spinoff might be about, but at least it gave us pirate fans some hope. She also mentioned that she has a new book in the works that is going to be about vikings! So exciting!  The Pirate series is awesome and I’d recommend it to older Teens who like adventures. Younger teens might not be ready for the more “Grown Up” romance moments and the actions of the pirates (they’re pirates who enjoy killing, drinking, swearing, etc.), so be cautious handing it off to them. 

Not So Much Stalking....

Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1)

by Kerri Maniscalco

Hardcover, 326 pages

Published September 20th 2016 by Jimmy Patterson

ISBN: 9780316273497

Copy Bought And Autographed At YA Conference

About: 

Presented by James Patterson's new children's imprint, this deliciously creepy horror novel has a storyline inspired by the Ripper murders and an unexpected, blood-chilling conclusion...

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

The story's shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling, #1 New York Times bestselling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget. (Goodreads)

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Review:

A disappointing 3.5 stars for this read. I met the author at a YA conference and she seemed so cool and into exploring all things creepy for her research. It made me expect a lot more from this book. I was very interested in Jack the Ripper growing up so I was very curious to see what Kerri could do with him in a YA novel. I can tell that she did her research on the time period and the cases, I had no problem with the story there. I also liked that at the back of the book she tells the reader what facts she changed and why. My problem was that she promised thrills, twists and turns, and horror; and though we had dead bodies from the Ripper, none of that was present. The “love” story was generic and simple and just got in the way. The book was predictable, and I felt like our main characters were never really in any danger. The main character Audrey has been done before, though I always do appreciate a good strong female going against the norm. I enjoyed the ending and the unveiling of the Ripper, though I had an idea of who he might be from around the middle of the book. I don’t think I cared for the cover up of who the Ripper was, though since their identity was never solved in real life it makes sense that they did that. Besides the violence there wasn’t anything to “mature” in the novel. It’s recommended for 15 and up by the publisher, but younger teens might be ok with it too, if they enjoy historical fiction. Despite my disappointment I am curious about the second book in the series “Hunting Prince Dracula” and I might give it a try some day. 

Anderson's YA Conference

Anderson's Bookshop 14th Annual Young Adult Literature Conference 

Saturday, November 4th, 2017

Hilton Lisle/Naperville Illinois

8:00Am-4:00 P.M.

Some of the awesome Authors I met yesterday!

I had the privilege yesterday of attending Anderson's Bookshops 14th Annual YA Literature Conference for authors, librarians, educators and fans. It was so awesome!

First of all I got to sit at a table with two authors for breakfast, keynote speakers, and lunch! I can’t tell you how cool it is to sit and talk books, writing, travel, plays, tv shows, movies, and more with someone that you admire. It’s even more awesome when you realize that they like the same stuff as you! Who knew that my knowledge of the DC/Marvel universe and Supernatural would come in handy lol! 

My co worker and I were lucky enough to get to sit next to Morgan Rhodes (author of the Falling Kingdom series) and Veronica Chambers (author of The Go Between, and many other wonderful books). Both women were incredibly nice. I snagged a copy of both of their books at the conference and will be reading and reviewing them soon! 

There were 4 keynote speakers this year, Sara Shepard (author of The Pretty Little Liars series and more), Adam Silvera (author of "More Happy Than Not", "They Both Die In The End" and more), Nicola Yoon (author of 'Everything, Everything and more) and Ryan Graudin (author of Wolf by Wolf series and "Invictus" . I loved them all. 

Nicola Yoon, you inspire me to read more diverse books. To be a supporter of humans first and put all of the race, gender, etc stuff second. To encourage hope in all. Your speech meant something to everyone in the room! You go girl!  

Sara Shepard, I didn’t know I could relate to you as well as I did. The Pretty Little Liars books have been on my list of books to read for so long, and now that I’ve heard you speak I have to read at least one. I love the Pretty Little Liars TV show and now I really want to go back and find you in those two episodes! I can really relate to having teachers and librarians who inspired me throughout the years. Koodos to you for staying so close to some of them and being able to share your stories about them. As a librarian/teacher I hope that I’m making a difference in kids life as well, just like those inspirations did for you. I can also relate to having weird awkward stages and needing time to find out who I was. I’m glad you had a teacher who was willing to give you a journal and time to figure out who you were. I never had someone like that, but kind of wish that I did. Thank you for speaking!

Ryan Graudin, you seem like a kindred spirit. I too have a dire wolf like dog. Mine is more like Ghost though. And I also had that Disaster book growing up. It was one of my favorites, especially the Titanic information! It was so interesting hearing you speak about some of your travels and how they inspired your writing. I love traveling and if I could figure out how to write a novel I’d love to use my experiences in it. It seems like a lot of your adventures relate to understanding others and their cultures and situations which I think is so amazing. While I like to think that I could do a trip like you described, I don’t think I’d have the courage to go to the extremes that you do. I do however also have a husband that gets us into strange situations. When he says hey lets try this path while hiking… well lets just say we’ve definitely had some interesting adventures and have met some interesting people that way. The way you described Invictus as a mix between Firefly and Doctor Who peaked my interest and I’ll definitely be picking it up to read soon! 

Adam Silvera, I was about halfway through with your book “More Happy Than Not” when I heard you speak. Shit! Your speech gave that book so much more meaning now! You really are an inspiration and role model. First off, I love fan fiction. That is I love reading it. I don’t think I have the courage or skill to ever write it, but who knows. Maybe someday I’ll give it a shot. I’m definitely thinking of using it as a future writing program for teens where I work though. It was awesome to hear you say that fan fiction was kind of where you got started writing. There are tons of teens in my town who will probably never go to college. If they’re lucky, maybe they’ll go to a trade school. I like to try to make it known to them that that’s ok. They are still someone no matter how much schooling they’ve had. You sir, are proof of that. We also proudly support our LGBTQ community where I work, and we try to let our teens know that no matter what they are (race, gender, sexuality, religion, etc. wise) they’re all equals, and they’re all welcome. Thank you for being you, and having the courage to tell your story. Your tattoos are awesome by the way! I want an compass/arrow to remind me to follow my arrow where ever it may point.

Throughout the day there were also breakout sessions with groups of different authors. While I wish that I could have attended all of them, I only got to pick 3. I went to the Love and Contemporary one, the Thriller, Mystery, and Chiller one, and the Sci-Fi one. All were really great! It was so interesting to hear how each group writes a book (romance writers don’t really use outlines, while Thriller writers usually did), what they use for inspiration (their own kids, music, podcasts, real life crime stories, science, etc.), what kind of research they do (shooting ranges, talking to astrophysicists, riding motorcycles, going to body farms, etc), and more. The lightning round questions they were asked were a riot. It seems like most authors would like to live in a Harry Potter story and during a zombie apocalypse would either like Jamie from Outlander or one of the Harry Potter characters by their sides. 

Overall, I had a ton of fun mingling with YA authors and learning about… well all things YA lit. I even managed to get 4 books signed. (I would have loved to get one from every single author there but I didn’t have enough money.) I also came away with a huge, and I mean huge list of books that I need to read! Hopefully I’ll get to some of them soon and have reviews up for you guys. If you’re a fan of YA and you’re ever in Illinois near the beginning of November/end of October you should check out the YA Conference! You won’t regret it! 

Here are the books I got signed at the conference...

 

And here is a list of the authors that were at the conference…

Keynotes: Sara Shepard, Adam Silvera, Nicola Yoon and Ryan Graudin

Panel Authors: Ann Brashares, Crystal Cestari, Elly Blake, Kim Turrisi, Ryan Graudin, Wendy Brant, Jessie Ann Foley, Kerri Maniscalco, Katie Kennedy, Kayla Ancrum, Jessica Taylor, Julie C. Dao, Morgan Rhodes, Peter Bognanni, Traci Chee, Jared Reck, Jessica Cluess, Julie Buxbaum, Kara Thomas, M.C. Atwood, Marit Weisenberg, Tara Goedjen, Veronica Chambers, Samira Ahmed, Steve Schafer, Gabrielle Prendergast, Lisa Maxwell, Lynn Weingarten, Margaret Rogerson, Michelle Hodkin, Peternelle van Arsdale, Amy Reed, Carrie Jones, Julia Keller, Heather Maclean,  Stephanie Strohm, Livia Blackburne & Daria Polatin.

A Fun Winter Romance

Prince in Disguise

by Stephanie Kate Strohm

Hardcover, 320 pages

Expected publication: December 19th 2017 by Disney-Hyperion

ISBN 9781484768174

ARC From Publisher

About:

Someday I want to live in a place where I never hear “You’re Dusty’s sister?” ever again.

Life is real enough for Dylan—especially as the ordinary younger sister of Dusty, former Miss Mississippi and the most perfect, popular girl in Tupelo. But when Dusty wins the hand of the handsome Scottish laird-to-be Ronan on the TRC television network’s crown jewel, Prince in Disguise, Dylan has to face a different kind of reality: reality TV.

As the camera crew whisks them off to Scotland to film the lead-up to the wedding, camera-shy Dylan is front and center as Dusty’s maid of honor. The producers are full of surprises—including old family secrets, long-lost relatives, and a hostile future mother-in-law who thinks Dusty and Dylan’s family isn’t good enough for her only son. At least there’s Jamie, an adorably bookish groomsman who might just be the perfect antidote to all Dylan’s stress . . . if she just can keep TRC from turning her into the next reality show sensation.

(Goodreads)

Rating: 4 Stars

Review:

I was lucky enough to receive this book as a surprise from the publisher. It wasn’t something that I would normally read, but I saw that Stephanie Strohm was going to be at a conference that I was going to so I decided to buckle down and read it before I met her. Boy was I glad I did! (By the way I met Stephanie Strohm in person yesterday and she is awesome! So cute! Clearly a fan of love and of Disney. If you ever meet her get her talking about the movie Tangled! You won’t regret it!)

The cover of a Prince in Disguise is nicely done. I feel like it’s something a teen would pick up, but there’s almost a bit of an adult romance essence to it that might appeal to older teens/new adults. It definitely reminds me of Winter/Christmas, and after reading it I can say that the writing also fits that time of year perfectly. 

I wasn’t sure what to think of the book from the description. Reality TV show stuff is not my cup of tea. And usually YA romance books follow the same generic boy meets girl formula and they bore me. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book contained so much more. First of all I loved the Southern girls going to Scotland. I’m from Northern Illinois, but I have an appreciation for the South. And I’ve been to Scotland and loved it there so much its on my list of potential places to live someday. From the girls’ house in Mississippi to the “castle” and all it’s secret passages, perfect descriptions everywhere that made me feel apart of the story. I feel like Stephanie got the culture of the South and Scotland right. Beauty queens, haggis, kilts, mud runs, shooting and more were all represented. Putting these two cultures together created some wacky fun moments that I can definitely picture being on a reality show. Surprising the Scottish boys by how well they can shoot while wearing pink camouflage is just one example. 

Like most teen romance stories, you have the heroine of the story (Dylan) not initially seeking love, only to have it kind of fall in her lap. Only this time the boy’s back story had me guessing. Is he a “prince” in disguise ? Is he just using the girl to get on TV? Is he just a part of the TV show? All the guessing made the story a fun read. The characters were all likable, which can be rare. Even the mean soon to be Scottish mother in law had her likable moments. The story itself was well written and flowed perfectly. By the end I was surprised to find myself wishing that there was more. I think that this book is an adorable winter read for any teen. Especially those wishing to get out of a sibling’s shadow, or to find love in an unexpected place. 

Spoilers… Only Read On If You Want To Be Slightly Spoiled…

One of the things that interested me at the end of the story, that I have to mention, was the reveal of who our romantic interest (Jamie) really is. I now want to go and do more research of the royalty of England and see if this character really exists. I feel like the answer is no, but still. Nice twist Stephanie! Nice twist! If anyone wants to discuss this please contact me. I’d like to know what you guys think! 

Off The Bucket List...

 A few weeks ago I got to knock meeting S.E. Hinton (my favorite author) off of my bucket list. It was so amazing and she is so nice! I asked her which of her books was her favorite, to which she answered “That’s like asking me to pick my favorite child. If I had to pick though it would be Tex”. I also found out that she is a huge fan of the TV show Supernatural and often visits their set. She even guest appeared in one of the episodes! To show how nice she is, she not only signed my copy of the Outsiders, but also my copy of Rumble Fish (my favorite of her work, and yes I’ve read it all multiple times), and she signed my Rumble Fish and Outsiders DVDs!!!! Thank you Ms. Hinton for making my day, month, year, and possibly life lol!