Wrapped is a very smart, doubly historical novel that I immensely enjoyed. I call this story doubly historical because in addition to being set in Regency England, it explores ancient Egyptian history and myths. It is very clear that this novel is well researched, but Bradbury manages to seamlessly weave her research into the story such that it is not obvious that it is even there. This makes it so much easier to get into the story, which is a fantastic one. It’s hard not to become swept away in Agnes’s struggles against the conventions of the time and her drive to solve an international mystery. The plot is perfectly executed with a good mix of Regency glamour, hunting down clues, a touch of danger, and even romance, and most of the characters, especially protagonist Agnes, are vividly portrayed and easy to understand. Wrapped is a very well balanced and written story that truly transports the reader into the past for an unforgettable adventure.
Wrapped will be enjoyed by all fans of historical fiction, particularly those who also liked The Season by Sarah MacLean and La Petite Four by Regina Scott.
Rating: 4.75
Review copy from Simon & Schuster Galley Grab
Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury
Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O’Roark Dowell
Ten Miles Past Normal is a sweet and pertinent YA debut for author O’Roark Dowell. As can be easily gleaned from the title, this novel is all about “normality” and fitting in, which are huge issues for many teens. O’Roark Dowell approaches this topic from the perspective of Janie, who is in so many ways an outsider. Although most readers are unlikely to share Janie’s exact circumstances that so clearly mark her that way, it is quite easy to understand and relate to her desire to be “normal.” Janie’s journey to acceptance of herself and her situation is an endearing one even if the general progress of the story is a rather predictable one. However, although I quite enjoyed reading this story, nothing in particular really stood out to me. All the characters are quirky and fun to read about, but they are not very vividly described either. There were sections of the book that I found simultaneously refreshing and frustrating because certain outcomes felt strangely both cliché and original. Overall, though, Ten Miles Past Normal is a solid YA debut with interesting characters, great humor, and relevant subject matter.
Ten Miles Past Normal is sure to be enjoyed by readers who also liked Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph and Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern.
Rating: 3.5
Review copy from pretty fab PR
The Beautiful Between by Alyssa Sheinmel
The Beautiful Between is a wonderful story that is just so gorgeously crafted and written that it is difficult to believe it was Sheinmel’s debut novel. Connelly’s voice grabs the reader from the very first page; she’s the type of narrator that stays with you even when you’ve taken a break from reading her story. Even though Connelly’s situation of not knowing part of her own history is rather unusual and some of the major turning points in the plot are so sudden, everything is so perfectly integrated that the story flows smoothly. I love how Sheinmel presents a different look at the lives of high school students that is perhaps a little less glamorous or gritty than those presented in other YA novels; it certainly makes The Beautiful Between stand out and in some ways makes it feel much more realistic. Sheinmel strips away the unnecessary excess of high school and shows readers exactly what they need to see, which is two teens struggling to deal with belonging and loss. I loved being immersed in this story, because, simply said, it is beautifully written and truly stands out from the rest.
The Beautiful Between should be read by fans of Wish by Alexandra Bullen, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, and For Keeps by Natasha Friend.
Rating: 4.75
Review copy borrowed
The problem with book signings...
...is that I always end up staying way later than I plan to. At least, that was the case for the last three signings that I went to. Why? Because there were so many people there that I wanted to talk to, and sadly, even what little time I did spend chatting never felt like enough.
Two Saturdays ago, I found out through Twitter (despite the fact that I do not have a Twitter account) that Stephanie Perkins was holding an impromptu book signing since she was in the area. Even though I am one of the few people in existence who has still yet to read Anna and the French Kiss (or so I've been told), I did obtain a copy of its companion, Lola and the Boy Next Door, at BEA, and thought perhaps that getting that book signed would motivate me to find a copy of Anna faster.
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| Stephanie Perkins |
In addition to being super cool and fashionable, Stephanie is one of the nicest people ever. She took the time to chat with everyone who showed up to see her. This casual event was great because I got to meet or get to know so many new and cool people, including Rachel from Bookshelf Lust, Bethany from Bookish Bethie, Jennifer who works at Livestream (they've covered a lot of YA events lately), and a very awesome lady from Little, Brown (she's not only awesome for having graduated from Barnard!). And the cherry on top of this confection of an event was that I am now the proud owner of the very first copy of Lola that Stephanie has ever signed! How's that for bragging rights?!
The very next day, I headed on down to Books of Wonder in time for Courtney Sheinmel's launch party for her new tween title All the Things You Are. Courtney talked a bit about her inspiration for her book, read, answered a bunch of questions from the audience, and then signed away!
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| Courtney Sheinmel |
I had the loveliest time getting to talk to so many awesome people including but not limited to: Mitali from Alley of Books, the spotlighted author Courtney herself, as well as authors Kody Keplinger, Michael Northrop, and Susane Colasanti. Of course, having so many delicious munchies around didn't hurt either, such as the cupcakes brought by Lauren Oliver or Courtney's beautiful cake:
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| Let there be book cakes! |
Then, that Thursday, I went back to Books of Wonder for yet another YA event. This time, it was for 5 different authors: Tara Altebrando, Susane Colasanti, Sarah Mlynowski, Lisa Pliscou, and Nova Ren Suma. Each author talked a little bit about her most recent book and read, and then they all took questions from the audience.
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| Sarah Mlynowski and Susane Colasanti |
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| Tara Altebrando, Lisa Pliscou, and Nova Ren Suma |
Sadly, this was one of those signings that I didn't have any books to get signed because a) I've already had my copies of Sarah's and Susane's books signed and b) I don't have copies (or the space for copies of) the rest of the authors's books. So, instead of waiting on line, I got to spend all my time chatting away with people including authors Marianna Baer, Teresa Harris, Susane Colasanti, and Courtney Sheinmel, a couple wonderful people from a couple of different publishing houses, and my new friends Rachel of Bookshelf Lust and Jennifer from Livestream.
Anyway, I'm headed to a lot more events next week, so stay tuned!
My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody
My Life Undecided is many things, including sweet, touching, and utterly hilarious. Brody offers readers a delicious glimpse into the life of Brooklyn, a girl who unintentionally can’t seem to stay out of trouble. It’s simultaneously outrageously funny and a little horrifying to read about a girl who’s so fed up with the way her life seems to be going that she willingly relinquishes control (mostly) to an anonymous audience on the world wide web. Yet for all of Brooks’s dramatics, her life isn’t all that extraordinary. Yes, it’s true that most teens can’t claim to have experienced most of Brooklyn’s exploits like burning down a model home, but underneath it all, she’s just a girl who feels a little lost. Brody really emphasizes this by showing Brooks’s dilemmas with friends, guys, and family. Now these are the big three that all teen girls have to deal with. I loved reading along to watch Brooks’s character grow from a timid, self-conscious girl to one who is comfortable in her own skin. My Life Undecided is a thoroughly enjoyable read that kept me smiling and giggling as I turned the pages, and I can’t wait to see what new comedic and contemporary stories Brody produces next.
My Life Undecided is the perfect read for any teen girl on a lazy day and will especially appeal to fans of Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern and The Oracle of Dating by Allison Van Diepen.
Rating: 4.25
Review copy from publisher Macmillan
Win Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
In honor of the launch of the 13RW Project, I'm going to have a little contest! But first, let's tell you about what the project and website is:
Penguin launched the 13RW Project at www.13RWProject.com as a place for fans of Thirteen Reasons Why to record their thoughts, stories, videos and photos relating to the book, and to view what other readers from all across the country have shared. Each review is logged on a map to show the many locations that viewers are posting from, and all content is shareable through Facebook and Twitter.
Thirteen Reasons Why is the story of a girl named Hannah Baker who takes her own life. But before she does, she records several cassette tapes explaining why and sends them to the people she feels pushed her toward that decision. The story is told from the point of view of Clay Jensen who spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah’s voice as his guide. He becomes a first-hand witness to Hannah’s pain, and learns the truth about himself—a truth he never wanted to face.
The anti-bullying anthem was published in hardcover in October 2007 by Razorbill, and quickly became a word-of-mouth favorite among teenaged readers with fans claiming, “This book changed my life.” The novel has been on the New York Times children’s hardcover bestseller list for 65 weeks, foreign rights have been sold into 30 countries and it has been acquired by Universal Pictures and will star Selena Gomez.
(2) lucky winners will receive Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
courtesy of Big Honcho Media
Other details:
- US mailing addresses only.
- Contest ends 7/10/11, at 9 p.m. EST.
Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma
I’m not sure why, but I was expecting a lot from Imaginary Girls. I’m generally intrigued by manipulations of the flimsy boundary between life and death, so I wanted to see how this debut young adult author would approach the topic. Sadly, I can’t say that I am pleased with the result. On one hand, I found the writing to be particularly well done and the characters mostly realistic, though very eerie and disturbing. It was the story itself that I didn’t like. I was creeped out by the intensity of Chloe and Ruby’s sisterly relationship and Ruby’s almost entitled possessiveness over all those around her. The portrayal of Chloe and Ruby led me to think that there would be an elaborate but twisted psychological explanation for the incident with London at the reservoir, but other elements of the story persuaded me that the explanation was actually more fantastical. By the end of the story, I was unable to determine which explanation prevailed, and that was immensely unsatisfying for me. I felt the ending of the story to be its largest flaw because it really didn’t seem like anything had been resolved. The reason I kept reading on was because I wanted to find out what had actually happened, and no explanation was clearly conveyed. There are other points of interest in this novel, particularly the in depth look at the strength of sisterhood, but they are not sufficient enough to outweigh my disappoint at the book’s ending.
Imaginary Girls may still be enjoyed by readers who liked Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus and The Lying Game by Sara Shepard.
Rating: 2.5
Review copy from NetGalley
Winners and Winners and More Winners
It has been a really long time since I announced winners on The Book Muncher. I thought it might be time to do that, so here we are....
Allison R
won A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness and some cool buttons
Loreal
won a signed copy of The Time-Traveling Fashionista by Bianca Turetsky
Win The Enemy and The Dead by Charlie Higson
Here's a giveaway to satisfy your zombie cravings!
(1) lucky winner will receive copies of The Enemy and The Dead by Charlie Higson
courtesy of AuthorsOnTheWeb
Other details:
- US mailing addresses only.
- Contest ends 6/30/11, at 9 p.m. EST.
Interview with Charlie Higson
Why did you choose to set The Dead, the second novel in the Enemy series, a year before the story in The Enemy, its first installment? Did you initially plan to have two separate stories from the first two books in the series come together in the third book? If not, how did that come about?
The series was originally going to be a trilogy and book 2 was going to carry straight on from book 1 – five minutes later - as the kids turned up at the Natural History Museum. But I realized I had a bit of a problem. First of all I had too many ideas to fit into three books, and secondly there was a problem with pacing. At the end of The Enemy Small Sam has arrived at the Tower of London, and, as I’ve said, the other Holloway kids, are about to arrive at the museum. It struck me that the whole of the beginning of book 2 was in danger of being taken up with introducing a whole load of new characters at these two new locations. And this was on the back of meeting a lot of new kids towards the end of book 1 – at the palace and in the park… It would be hard to push the plot forward and might become confusing and overwhelming. So I started thinking about using the 2nd book to introduce all these new characters separately, so that when they all eventually came together we would know who they were and could get on with the story. I asked my publisher if they were interested in more than 3 books and they said they’d love 6! So I had the green light from them to expand and deepen the story. But would the readers object? As I write my books I read them out to my own kids, as guinea pigs. So I asked them what they’d like to see in book 2. And they said, completely out of the blue, that they thought it would be cool if book 2 was about a whole new set of kids, also trying to survive in London. I figured great minds think alike and set about changing my plans. I think we underestimate kids and think they won’t take on board anything too complex, but I think they also don’t like things to get too predictable. I reckoned my readers would enjoy seeing the kids from the first two books gradually coming together in some unexpected ways. This process continues in Book 3, so that what was originally going to be book 2 will now be book 4.
Where did your ideas for the Enemy series come from?
It started when I was a teenager in the 1970s and I first saw Night Of The Living Dead. It was the first, and I think still the best, of the cannibal zombie apocalypse films. I fell in love with zombies. They terrify me. When I realized my own kids were also big zombie fans, and were equally fascinated and terrified of them, I figured it’d be a lot of fun to write some zombie books. I put the zombies together with a fantasy I’d had when I was a kid – what fun it would be if all the adults in the world simply disappeared! A world of kids, trying to get by and to make sense of things, using all the cool stuff that us adults have left lying around.
Why does the zombie disease only affect the adults in your dystopian setting?
Because that’s what I needed to set my story up! If you look at all zombie films there’s never really any explanation as to how it all works, and why it’s happened. Probably because it never could happen. Exactly how the disease works is something I’m still working on. In the end it’s really not that important, it’s just a device to get the story running, we just want to get on with it. As we only ever see events through the eyes of the kids, they haven’t figured it all out yet. I’m working on some interesting ideas, though, that will feed later plots.
What was the most enjoyable part about writing The Dead?
Inventing some new characters and then killing half of them off.
Which of your characters can you relate to most and why?
I am most like the studious, responsible ones, struggling with ideas of what it means to be a leader – like Arran, Ollie and Ed. As a father (and TV producer, which is my job when I’m not writing) you have to deal all the time with problems of responsibility, leadership, guidance etc. I am not a warrior like Jack or Achilleus. I would hope my brains might help me survive an apocalypse, rather than my fighting skills.
One of the fun things about wring books is doing research, visiting places and getting unique access. I had some great personal tours of the places I wrote about, like the Imperial War Museum and the Tower Of London.
What is the most rewarding part about being a young adult author?
Doing events with kids. I love talking about writing and horror and books, and the kids I meet are very responsive, they ask much more interesting questions than adults. Like ‘how would you like to die?’ and ‘How much money do you earn?’ It’s also very rewarding getting reluctant readers into books, not because books are good for you, but because I’ve derived so much pleasure from reading over the years, so to be able to pass that on is very rewarding.
If there were one thing you could change about either The Enemy or The Dead, what would it be?
The great thing about writing a series is you can keep adding to your initial ideas, and making them better, so anything I didn’t get right, or wish I’d put in earlier books I can put in later books. I was really pleased when I decided on the new route I was going to take through the series, to discover that everything had been nicely set in place for me in The Enemy – almost as if I’d planned it from the start.
What are you working on next?
I have a deal for 6 books in this series here in the UK. (Not sure if Hyperion are going to take all six in the US yet, but fingers crossed). So I’m working on book 4 at the moment. I also have a couple of TV comedy projects in the pipeline, and some script writing I have to get on with.
For more information on Charlie Higson and his work, check out his website at www.charliehigson.co.uk
He’s So Not Worth It by Kieran Scott
Scott writes her books in such a way that after reading one book, you want to run out immediately and get the next. Usually this irritates me, only because sometimes the sequel doesn’t live up to my expectations or is not available. Fortunately, He’s So Not Worth It, the sequel to She’s So Dead to Us has recently been released and most definitely was worth waiting for. I devoured this book. It’s hard to not be sucked into Ally’s and Jake’s lives and empathize with their problems even though it is clear that they are just a train wreck waiting to happen. I’m not suggesting that the self destruction is what makes this novel appealing; rather, the humanity that is evident in these characters makes them very worthy of the reader’s undivided attention in spite of the socially appalling situations they find themselves in. This is a book that I’d love to hate but just can’t; Scott’s spot-on writing and realistic portrayal of both the male and female perspectives elevate He’s So Not Worth It way beyond just a summer guilty pleasure.
Fans of She’s So Dead to Us will not want to miss its fantastic sequel in He’s So Not Worth It, nor will readers who also enjoyed the Private series, also by Kieran Scott under the pseudonym Kate Brian.
Rating: 4.5
Review copy from Simon & Schuster Galley Grab
Lots of book events...again
So, once again, here is a brief summary of all the book events that I've been to since the last time I posted about book events!
A couple of weekends ago (that would be the weekend following BEA), I went to Books of Wonder for a signing with six different authors: Kristi Cook, Maurissa Guibord, Daniel Kirk, Gail Carson Levine, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Bianca Turetsky. Each author read a little bit from his/her most recent novel and then did a little Q&A. Sarah Rees Brennan even provided bribes prizes for audience members asking questions.
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| Kristi Cook, Maurissa Guibord, and Daniel Kirk |
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| Bianca Turetsky, Gail Carson Levine, and Sarah Rees Brennan |
I had a lovely time chatting with authors Bianca and Sarah (who were both a little fan-girly about sitting next to the phenomenal Gail Carson Levine), some of my favorite people over at Little, Brown, as well as James from Book Chic.
Then on June 1, I headed over to the Mulberry Street branch of the NYPL for the June Teen Author Reading Night. The awesome lineup included Susane Colasanti, Daniel Ehrenhaft, Jodi Lynn Anderson, Andisheh Nouraee, Katie Finn, Catherine Greenman, Sarah Mlynowski, Alyssa Sheinmel, Courtney Sheinmel, Emily Wing Smith, and Caissie St. Onge, all moderated by the amazing David Levithan. Each author read a short excerpt from their book, and then they all took questions from the audience.
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| Andisheh Nouraee, Jodi Lynn Anderson, and Daniel Ehrenhaft |
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| Caissie St. Onge, Catherine Greenman, Katie Finn, Sarah Mlynowski, Courtney Sheinmel, Alyssa Sheinmel, Susane Colasanti, and Emily Wing Smith |
I ended up staying much longer than I intended because I was so busy talking to cool people, especially including authors Courtney Sheinmel, Michael Northrop, and Susane Colasanti, editor Aimee Friedman, Mitali from Alley of Books (that's a given!), and many others in the audience. I always have so much fun at the Reading Nights because David Levithan is so entertaining and there are always interesting people to talk to.
That Saturday was a break from Very Large Events. Mitali from Alley of Books and I went all the way to Brooklyn to BookCourt to see Adele Griffin at her signing. Unfortunately, we along with author Marianna Baer were basically the only people who knew about this event, which was sad, because Adele is such a cool person. I didn't snap any pictures either, because I didn't want to wave my camera up in Adele's face from the front row. Fortunately, though, the entire evening was not a bust, as the four of us spent some quality time chatting.
The next day, I went down to Books of Wonder for another event. This one was Sarah Mlynowski's launch party for her most recent YA novel, Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have). Sarah read a pretty PG-rated scene (as her very young daughter was in attendance) and then answered a bunch of questions from the audience. For those of you who don't know, the premise for Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have) was based on real experiences in Sarah's life. The rest of the novel is fiction, but it's interesting to know that these things (girl and friend in high school living without parental supervision), though not common, have happened.
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| Sarah Mlynowski |
I had a lovely time chatting with my friends Mitali from Alley of Books and Kelsey from The Book Scout, many of the authors in attendance, including Sarah Mlynowski, Courtney Sheinmel, Susane Colasanti, Alecia Whitaker, Michael Northrop, and Kody Keplinger, the last of which has recently moved to NYC and is now among my favorite super awesome NYC people.
I feel like it's getting to that point for me that I attend so many book events that I can hardly keep them straight in my own mind (especially when I end up seeing so many people that I already know in the audience). So, I really hope that these posts aren't getting too repetitive or boring...because you can be sure that there will be lots more of these to look forward to!
Don’t Stop Now by Julie Halpern
Don’t Stop Now is a sweet and thoughtful story that deviates somewhat from the playful combination of seriousness and hilarity that I became accustomed to in Halpern’s earlier novels, Get Well Soon and Into the Wild Nerd Yonder. Though Don’t Stop Now is sprinkled with random fun facts about all the states Lil and Josh travel through that add some lightness to the story, I felt the overall tone was a lot more serious. Halpern skillfully deals with some very important social issues that many teens face, such where the line between friend and boyfriend falls, how to maintain good relationships with both friends and boyfriend, and the fear of putting oneself out there, to name a few. She portrays this wonderfully through Lil and Josh’s relationship as well as sparse narrations from Penny’s point of view. I really got to know Lil and Penny, and this connection to them made me appreciate their struggles even more. I feel like there aren’t very many novels that address the issues of the high school-college transition as well as Halpern does, and while I do miss the outright laughter I got from Get Well Soon and Into the Wild Nerd Yonder, and although Don’t Stop Now didn’t quite grab me in the same way those other novels did, this is very well written and worthwhile story to read. I do deeply love what Halpern has done with this book.
Fans of Get Well Soon and Into the Wild Nerd Yonder, also by Julie Halpern, should not miss Don’t Stop Now. This novel is also sure to be enjoyed by fans of Swoon at Your Own Risk by Sydney Salter, Beauty Shop for Rent by Laura Bowers, and Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian. I can’t wait to see what Halpern writes next.
Rating: 4.25
Review copy from publisher Macmillan
A Brief Interruption in the Scheduled Programming
And we now make a brief interruption in the scheduled programming for this update...
I thought I'd take a brief break in between all the reviews I have coming up to tell you a little bit (and yes, I only mean a little) about the Summer Internship. You may or may not remember that I posted a couple months ago on this very blog about my book-related summer plans, including the Summer Internship as a children's marketing intern at Macmillan. I'm not bringing this up again to brag (though I would love to, that's how awesome my internship is!). Instead, I do so to let you know how this internship has affected this blog as well as my overall internet presence.
Regarding my overall internet presence:
For those of you following the MacKids blog, Get to the Point, you may have noticed a new weekly feature (perhaps ominously) titled "The Intern Chronicles." And guess what? It's written by yours truly. So, if you want to know what I've been up to over in the Flatiron building, you know where to go, but if you don't, I'll remind you once more: head on over to the MacKids blog! Seriously, you don't know what you're missing out on*. Go read my first post here: http://mackids.squarespace.com/mackidssquarespacecom/2011/6/3/the-intern-chronicles-a-field-journal-by-rachael-stein.html
Regarding this blog:
The Summer Internship has raised a question of conflict of interest, as I am both working for and reviewing books received from the same publisher. I am of the opinion that a book is a book is a book. Basically, Macmillan isn't paying me to like their books; if I happen to like them, it's a plus for both of us. Yet, at the same time, I do have much more access to Macmillan's books. Does this mean I should stop reviewing Macmillan books in general? What do you think? Does it violate the integrity of this blog if I still review Macmillan books though I am an intern there?
For the moment being, I will continue to review books published by Macmillan. I don't feel that most of the work I do there (e.g. mainly stuffing books into padded envelopes) so far is sufficiently complicated enough to sway my opinion. Furthermore, the Macmillan books I have chosen to review here have been selected and borrowed from the office shelves of my own volition; nobody is telling me what to read. Should the latter situation arise, or any that comes close, I will likely choose to refrain from reviewing that title here.
Anyway, sorry if the last half of this post has been a bit of a downer....perhaps it's time to remind you again of the lovely little posts at the MacKids blog....
*okay, so I may be a little bit biased, since I write the posts, but hey, you never know, you might get a good laugh out of it anyway
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
I’m not quite sure what drew me to Starcrossed to begin with. I was actually having difficulty finding a book that really interested me at the moment, and somehow, Starcrossed managed to fulfill that role. I’ll admit that I was initially quite intrigued by the strangeness of the story. I wanted to know more about Helen’s nightmares and her desire to murder the Delos family. And as I read on, I found the possible connection to ancient Greek mythology fascinating. However, my curiosity was not quite rewarded, because although I learned the answers to my questions, the story itself was not very good. The strangeness of some of the plot developments was difficult to adjust to, and I became irritated at the poor transitions from one scene to another. There were multiple times where I stopped reading for a moment only to pick the story up later and wonder how I had gotten to that point in the plot. This was greatly disappointing to me, especially because I felt that the ideas behind this story had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, their poor execution diminished the story overall as well.
Starcrossed may still be enjoyed by fans of Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton and The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller.
Rating: 3.25
Review copy from NetGalley
Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready
I enjoyed Shade, but I definitely enjoyed its sequel Shift a lot more. Shade appealed to me as a reader because of its unique take on ghosts. Shift builds upon this world and then includes family intrigue, threats from some sneaky government organizations, as well as some pretty sexy romance. I became absolutely immersed in the plot because Aura’s character felt so realistic to me. Despite the increasing amount of complexities in her life, Aura repeatedly rose to the challenge and grew in the process. As a result, I liked Aura and her story that much more. Smith-Ready masterfully manipulates the plot to keep readers on the edge of their seats with many new surprises. I think it’s safe to say that Shift really thrilled me, and now I can’t wait for the continuation of Aura’s story to learn the secrets of the Shift.
Fans of Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready will not want to miss its sequel in Shift, nor will readers who enjoyed the Skinjacker trilogy by Neal Shusterman and Ruined by Paula Morris.
Rating: 4.25
Review copy from Simon & Schuster Galley Grab
She’s So Dead to Us by Kieran Scott
I have actually never read anything by Kieran Scott except some books written under her pseudonym Kate Brian. I was a huge fan of how Scott/Brian was able make high school drama so addicting in her Private series, and I’m so glad this skill translated in She’s So Dead to Us. The strongest aspect of this novel is by far the characters. Alternate first person narrations from both Ally’s and Jake’s points of view give the reader great insight into these characters’ minds. I got to know everything about Ally and Jake, including their most secret desires, their tentative hopes and fears, and all of their innermost thoughts. As a result, Ally and Jake feel incredibly realistic, and even if they’re not always likable, it’s always easy to understand their motives. Therefore, even though I wanted to yell at these characters from time to time because their reactions to the situations forced upon them were sometimes so frustrating, I had to keep reading because I wanted so badly for them to succeed in at least something. In all, She’s So Dead to Us is undeniably a very juicy read, but one that also has substantive characters in realistic situations, and it’s not just because of the huge cliffhanger that I’m dying to catch the sequel in He’s So Not Worth It.
She’s So Dead to Us appeals to fans of the Private series by Kate Brian and The Elite series by Jennifer Banash.
Rating: 4.5
Review copy from personal collection
