Lord of Misrule marks the beginning of an epic battle that could tear apart Morganville as Claire and her friends know it. There is no doubt that readers will be kept on the edges of their seats as each new battle, secret, and betrayal unfolds. As much as I enjoyed the nearly nonstop action, though, I also really liked how Caine developed her characters. Claire and Shane’s relationship in particular was wonderfully done. Even though Lord of Misrule is the fifth book in the Morganville Vampires series, Caine is still keeping things fresh with new and surprising twists and turns, and I can’t wait to see how this fight turns out in the next book, Carpe Corpus.
The Morganville Vampires series will be enjoyed by fans of the Dark Elite series by Chloe Neill.
Rating: 4.5
Review copy from publisher Penguin
Lord of Misrule by Rachel Caine
Dark Secrets 3: The Back Door of Midnight by Elizabeth Chandler
Chandler has written many other paranormal murder mysteries set in Wisteria, so one would think that Dark Secrets 3 would bore me. I am happy to say that despite the many similarities that The Back Door of Midnight shares with the stories in Dark Secrets 1 and Dark Secrets 2, boredom was the farthest thing from my mind while reading this story. I became quite easily immersed in Anna’s story and investigation and was not at all disappointed by the murder mystery presented by Chandler. Where I believe Dark Secrets 3 triumphs over the other Dark Secrets stories is in romance. In both Dark Secrets 1 and Dark Secrets 2, I was rather disconcerted by how the heroine found love by the last page because the romantic relationships were always inadequately developed. However, Anna’s relationship with Zack in Dark Secrets 3 is much more satisfying when it comes to fruition because they had a real connection throughout the whole story. Overall, this latest addition to the Dark Secrets stories is entertaining and a highly enjoyable read.
Fans of Dark Secrets 1 and Dark Secrets 2 will enjoy Dark Secrets 3, as will readers who also liked Dark Visions by L.J. Smith.
Rating: 4.25
Review copy from publisher Simon & Schuster UK
Revenge of the Geek by Piper Banks
Revenge of the Geek is a quick and fun read dealing with the many pressures that all high school students—even geniuses—face. Miranda is forced to deal with academic competition, friendship disputes, and familial tension as she begins a new year at Geek High. Most of this would seem rather dull and repetitive if not for the strength of Miranda’s character. Miranda is very easy to relate to and understand as she tries to sort out her life. The one thing that continued to puzzle me for the majority of the story was Nora’s character; something about her always seemed a little off to me, both because of her odd behavior and because I felt that behavior was never truly justified. Despite that, Revenge of the Geek remains a sweet and enjoyable read.
Although Revenge of the Geek can stand on its own, fans of its prequels, Geek High, Geek Abroad, and Summer of the Geek will enjoy this novel, as will readers who also liked The Queen Geek Social Club by Laura Preble and Paisley Hanover Kisses and Tells by Cameron Tuttle.
Rating: 3.75
Review copy from publisher Penguin
Wishful Thinking by Alexandra Bullen
Wishful Thinking is a beautiful companion to Bullen’s debut Wish. I wasn’t quite sure that Wishful Thinking would be able to distinguish itself from Wish, but fortunately, the most that they share are magical dresses, Bullen’s wonderfully thoughtful writing, and a couple of interesting crossovers. I was truly swept away with this story. Hazel’s emotional journey to uncovering her past is a touching and endearing one, but also one that is subtle rather than overbearing. That makes Hazel’s ultimate choice and the end of her story so much sweeter to read about. Hazel’s character growth, especially concerning her understanding of family, is so natural and I commend Bullen on her success at that. Wishful Thinking is a completely enjoyable read with vivid characters, gorgeous writing, and a few surprises after every readers’ heart.
Fans of Wish will not want to miss its companion Wishful Thinking, nor will readers who enjoyed A Map of the Known World by Lisa Ann Sandell, Love, Meg by C. Leigh Purtill, and Absolutely Maybe by Lisa Yee.
Rating: 4.25
Review copy from publisher Scholastic
Of contest winners, layout modifications, and book festivals
My first order of business is to announce the winners of the most recent contests that have been held here:
Win a signed copy of Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran
Marie Tussaud has learned the secrets of wax sculpting by working alongside her uncle in their celebrated wax museum, the Salon de Cire. From her popular model of the American Ambassador, Thomas Jefferson, to her tableau of the royal family at dinner, Marie’s museum provides Parisians with the very latest news on fashion, gossip, even politics. Her customers hail from every walk of life, and when word arrives that the royals themselves are coming to see their likenesses, Marie never dreams that the king’s sister will request her presence at Versailles as a royal tutor in wax sculpting. Yet when a letter with a gold seal is delivered to her home, Marie knows she cannot refuse—even if it means time away from her beloved Salon and her increasingly dear friend, Henri Charles.(1) lucky winner will receive a signed copy of Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran and a pair of Marie Antoinette cupcake earrings
As Marie becomes acquainted with her pupil, Princess Élisabeth, she is taken to meet both Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI, who introduce her to the glamorous life at court. From lavish parties with more delicacies than she’s ever seen, to rooms filled with candles lit only once before being discarded, Marie steps into to a world entirely different from her home on the Boulevard du Temple, where people are selling their teeth in order to put food on the table.
Meanwhile, many resent the vast separation between rich and poor. In salons and cafés across Paris, people like Camille Desmoulins, Jean-Paul Marat, and Maximilien Robespierre are lashing out against the monarchy. Soon, there’s whispered talk of revolution…Will Marie be able to hold on to both the love of her life and her friendship with the royal family as France approaches civil war? And more importantly, will she be able to fulfill the demands of powerful revolutionaries who ask that she make the death masks of beheaded aristocrats, some of whom she knows?
Spanning five years from the budding revolution to the Reign of Terror, Madame Tussaud brings us into the world of an incredible heroine whose talent for wax modeling saved her life and preserved the faces of a vanished kingdom.
courtesy of Michelle Moran
Other details:
- This is an international contest.
- Contest ends 3/10/11, at 9 p.m. EST.
Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
Sadly, Angelfire did not blow me away as I hoped it would. I was expecting some pretty intense nonstop action and a strong heroine with a propensity for kicking butt. While Moulton does deliver many exciting action scenes, Ellie turned out to be not who I thought she would be and there were many other details that just weren’t smoothed over. The transition from normal teenage girl Ellie to Preliator Ellie was awkward; I felt like there was an unexplained jump between Ellie’s denial of the reality of reapers and her acceptance of her apparent heritage. When I finally got used to Ellie as an ancient warrior, she turned back into a regular teenager in the sense that she started to rebel against her duties. The constant shifting between the main action, Ellie’s increasingly romantic relationship with Will, and other more minor parts of Ellie’s life was poorly done. This made it hard to focus on the story at hand sometimes. The main ideas behind Angelfire, particularly the ancient war between good and bad, though not particularly original, were sufficiently added onto by Moulton that it seemed promising. It’s really too bad that the actual story did not live up to this.
Angelfire may still be enjoyed by fans of Fallen by Lauren Kate, Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, and Unearthly by Cynthia Hand.
Rating: 3.5
Review copy from NetGalley
Guest Post: Laura Kreitzer on Phantom Universe & Human Trafficking
Hello Literary-Folk!
My name is Laura Kreitzer, and I’m the author of the Timeless Series and the Summer Chronicles. This week I would like to alert everyone on a colossal crisis that’s gone unnoticed in the world: human trafficking. That’s why I’ve asked hundreds of blogs to be involved with spreading the word on this issue that’s become close to my heart.
As an author, and someone whose life is put in the spotlight, I keep most people at a distance. Only a handful of my friends know the whole me and the events from my past. But this week I’d like to share with you a part of myself that the outside world doesn’t see (and a part of me I don’t like to share). I was emotionally abused for five years by someone I thought loved me, my mind beaten into submission. Though the turmoil I went through doesn’t penetrate as deep as someone forced into slavery on the worldwide market for human trafficking, I can sadly relate in some ways: imprisoned, my life dictated down to what I wore, ate, where I went, whom I spoke to, where I worked, when I slept, bending to his every whim. He did not sway, even when I cried through some of the more traumatic things he had me do. I was a slave in my own home. In my desperation for freedom, I held out a gun and asked him to just end my suffering. I was desperate.
I can’t even imagine how many women (and men) in the world are in a similar situation. What’s even worse, I had it mild compared to the children that are sold for labor or sex. Surprisingly, the good ol’ U.S.A. is reported to be the host to two million slaves. Did you know this? Because I certainly did not; not until I was preparing to write my newest novel: Phantom Universe. The main character, Summer Waverly, was stolen as a child and sold as a slave to the captain of a modern-day pirate ship. From a loved child who only knew “time-out” as punishment, to being whipped into silence was something I knew nothing about. So I researched deeply into human trafficking and the psychological effects of torture of various types that one would endure in these circumstances. I felt shaken at my findings and knew I had to tell Summer’s story. (Read a sneak peek here.)
A storm began to brew in my mind; transforming, morphing, twisting, and expanding into this massive, black cloud. I had to bring this tragic atrocity to the forefront. My own emotional experiences, mixed with the research I did on human trafficking, made me feel an intense connection with Summer, and to all women who’ve been through this kind of brutality. The cloud ruptured and rained all over my computer one day. It took one month to write Phantom Universe, the first in the Summer Chronicles. I was so consumed by the story that I wrote nearly nonstop, only breaking for necessary tasks like eating, showering, and occasionally—very occasionally—sleeping.
Though the book I’ve written would be classified as Science Fiction, or as I’d like to call it, Dystopian, the emotions and psychological aspects are not Science Fiction—they're real. Reviewers have said many amazing things about Summer, this character who is so real in my mind and who I cried along with as the words poured from my soul onto my screen.
“I admired Summer's strength and ability to adapt,” says CiCi’s Theories. “I felt tied to her emotions,” Jennifer Murgia, author or Angel Star admits. And Tahlia Newland, author of Lethal Inheritance, remarks, “Summer is strong and smart in mind [. . .]”Through her overwhelmingly horrendous past, Summer goes on more than just a physical journey in Phantom Universe, she goes on a psychological one as well; growing beyond her mute state to persevere and survive in a new world beyond the whip she’s so frightened of.
Now that the release date is here, I’m excited and terrified to share this story with everyone. I’m emotionally tied in every way to the words I’ve written, because they’re more than words. More than just a story on a page. Beyond the fictional aspects, there’s a real issue that needs to be addressed: human trafficking must be stopped. We shouldn’t sit idly by while this continues to plague us. Our world’s children—our nation’s children—are being affected. It’s time we take action!
Earlier this month Phantom Universe hit Barnes and Noble’s top 100 Best Selling list. I’ve decided to donate 10% of my sales from Phantom Universe, until the end of February, to the DNA Foundation.
“DNA hopes to help abolish modern day slavery, deter perpetrators, and free the many innocent and exploited victims. We are committed to forcing sex slavery out of the shadows and into the spotlight.I ask that you spread the word to everyone you know. Look around on the DNA Foundation website and find a way to get involved in ending human trafficking. Take action today. Everyone has a voice—you have a voice. Will you have the courage to use it?
Freedom is a basic human right and slavery is one of the greatest threats to that freedom. No one has the right to enslave another person.”
—From DNA Foundation’s Website
Three signings in one week! (A personal record, I believe)
Since people seem to be in support of the "what went down and who I saw" routine, that's the one I will attempt to stick to!
On Monday, Feb 7, I went down to Borders at Columbus Circle to see Cynthia Leitich Smith. I met up with the lovely editor I work with at Lee & Low, Stacy Whitman, which was nice because she introduced me to Cynthia (and saved me all the awkwardness).
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| The awesome Cynthia Leitich Smith |
Cynthia is just a fantastic speaker. And I really don't mind that she spoke a lot. And that she answered lots and lots of questions. It was really fun. Also I got a cool little Sanguini's magnet for my fridge!
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| Sadly, this picture didn't turn out so well, but you get the gist |
Then on Wednesday, I had a major conflict. There were two events that I wanted to go to—at the same time! This is every book event frequenter's (okay, my) worst nightmare. Unfortunately I had to miss the February Teen Author Reading Night (and seeing Michael Northrop, E. Lockhart, Melissa Kantor, Maryrose Wood, and Gwendolyn Heasley, well, more on this last lady later). But the night was not a total loss, after all, I did get to see Ally Condie, Beth Revis, Kirsten Miller, Andrea Cremer, and Brenna Yovanoff at Books of Wonder as part of the Breathless Reads tour!
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| L to R: Beth Revis, Brenna Yovanoff, Ally Condie, Andrea Cremer, and Kirsten Miller |
Highlights of the evening included running into lots of people that I knew (makes me feel connected and all) and also meeting new people. People who I saw that I knew included Mitali from Alley of Books, upcoming author Jocelyn Davies, editor Stacy Whitman, and author Kirsten Miller (who I adore both for her writing skills and for where she graduated, a.k.a. Barnard, a.k.a. the college I attend!). I also got to meet a handful of book bloggers, author Gayle Forman, and, of course, the rest of the Breathless Reads authors who I hadn't previously met! All in all, it was a lot of fun, but my personal favorite moment was when Kirsten was talking about a class in her college years and starting talking directly to me, from where I stood all the way in the back, about a Barnard professor. Weird but cool!
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| Mitali, Andrea Cremer, Beth Revis, Brenna Yovanoff, and me (thanks to Mitali for this picture) |
Another awesome part of the evening was the posters that were handed out. Therefore, in addition to getting a couple of my books signed, I now have a gorgeous and SIGNED poster hanging on my dorm wall.
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| My lovely signed Breathless Reads poster |
Want one too? Lucky for you guys, I got an extra one signed. So let's take a brief break from the signing goodness for a contest!
(1) lucky winner will receive a signed Breathless Reads poster and bookmarks!
Fill out the form to enter:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dHVBSUNyWmZDTlRkZGxUa1dlb0kwN2c6MQ
Other details:
- US mailing addresses only.
- Contest ends 2/28/11, at 9 p.m. EST.
Now back to the book signings! On Thursday, I headed down to the Barnes & Noble at Tribeca to see Gwendolyn Heasley (who I missed at Teen Author Reading Night). I met her super nice publicist, who in turn introduced me to Gwendolyn, who, surprise surprise, is also super sweet.
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| Lovely debut author, Gwendolyn Heasley |
Gwendolyn talked a lot about where her debut novel Where I Belong came from, read a bit, and then answered questions from the audience.
And sorry if this post is rather lengthy, but I did break my book signing per week record!
Interview with Sean Beaudoin
And now for a very funny interview with Sean Beaudoin, author of Fade to Blue and the recently released You Killed Wesley Payne!
I would say that most of your novels are certainly out of the ordinary, which is a good thing! Where do you get all your unusual ideas from?
Costco? Genetics? My hive mind? Airplane glue? I have no idea. The stuff just pops up, and I either write it down or let it haunt me.
How do you name your characters?
They sort of seem to name themselves. Dalton Rev was such a Dalton Rev, you know? A couple of other characters might have changed during edits, but not many. Lester Bucharest was born to be Mole.
How did the philosophical brain in a vat theory* influence the development of Fade to Blue?
The Brain in a Vat theory, as an encapsulation of skepticism, is indeed one of early pillars of Fade to Blue. At least as my adolescent brain floated in its smaller, acne-ridden vat, when the concept first both confused and exhilarated me. Of course, back then it was called Descarte's "evil Daemon," which at the time I took to be a brilliant and highly likely explanation for my Chemistry teacher. I believe this was even written on the cover of one of my texts, right under Led Zeppelin Rules!:
- If I know for sure Mr. Pork is Random Value D, than I cannot be a brain in a vat, since then I would not have to sit through Mr. Pork's lectures.
- However, I do not know for sure that I am not a brain in a vat. If fact, I frequently feel moist and disembodied.
- Therefore, I do not know that Mr. Pork is not Random Value D.
- The vat is pure wishful speculation.
- When does Morpheus show up?
And everyone should read more Daniel Dennett.
Another main focus of Fade to Blue is the concept of the virtual world. What inspired you to write about this?
Well, The Matrix gets most or all of the credit for popularizing the conspiracy mindset behind the idea of computational reality, but for me it goes back to the novels of Phillip K. Dick. Anyone interested in anything more complicated than an English muffin should immediately go read The Man in the High Castle. At any rate, Dick’s books alternately fascinated and terrified me as a teenager, and I don’t think I ever recovered. I was also very taken with the question of defining humanity as raised in Blade Runner (loosely based on Phillip Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep). Why, after all, did Rutger Hauer stick a nail through his palm? And could a humble YA novel called Fade to Blue answer that question thirty years later?
Why did you choose to take the power of cliques in high schools to the extreme in You Killed Wesley Payne?
I didn’t have to go very far. The power of cliques is already extreme isn't it? We all hold onto slights and scars accumulated during high school. For some people, those experiences entirely inform their adult lives. The playground shove, the hallway love, the elation of popularity, the misery of ostracism, the depth of friendship—it’s all very profound. Or, maybe I’m just a sensitive flower.
You Killed Wesley Payne comes with all sorts of little goodies in addition to the actual story, such as a glossary and a “Salt River High Clique Index.” How did you choose what extras you wanted to include, and how do you feel that added to the overall book?Oh, they had to cut me off after a while. The extras were really fun to write. I think the case could be made that all of them are pretty essential to a full understanding of the story, but I could have slammed another 50 pages in there, easy. Mostly I just wanted to find a way to use the fake book title The End of Everything is G.
What is the most interesting thing you have learned while writing any of your novels? (This can be about yourself, about writing, or anything at all).
I guess that writing, which I used to think was about wearing a fancy hat and going to the right parties, is really about personal discipline. Sure, it requires inspiration and talent and The Muse and all that falutin stuff as well. But writing over the long term means conquering self-doubt, as well as the inherent tendency to shirk what doesn’t come easily. Gaining a level of creative self control is exhilarating, in a way I imagine people reach through ballet and meditation. Sitting down and focusing unreservedly for many hours at a stretch, and then having a few pages to show for it, is the best possible intoxicant.
What is the most rewarding part about being a young adult author?
When someone sends me a letter saying that one of my books helped them survive junior year. It reinforces the notion that all the work that went into getting the book out into the world has meaning beyond ego, royalties, or the mechanics of publishing.
If there was one thing you could change about any of your novels, what would it be?
I'd rewrite all of them and make them better if I could. I'm a big reviser. I do it right up until the end. It drives my editor crazy. I don't really think any book is ever done. Mine or anyone else's. Most people are probably just better about letting them go.
What are you working on next?
My next book is called Wise Young Truck. It's a sort of band tour diary, and apropos of your comment about unusual ideas above, is by far the most straightforward thing I've ever written. No brain in a vat in this one. It’s going to go over huge with the low expectations crowd.
*For those who are unaware of the philosophical “brain in a vat” scenario, the intro section of this article provides a great overview: http://www.iep.utm.edu/brainvat/
Win a signed copy of Going Nowhere Faster by Sean Beaudoin
Stan Smith has the world's dullest name, and the world's dullest life to go with it. At 17, the former junior chess champion turned "Town's Laziest Register Monkey at the Town's Only Video Store" has no car, no college, and, of course, no girl. If that weren't pathetic enough, he's got an organic-food-freak vegan mother, an eccentric inventor father, a dead-end job, a dog with a flatulence problem, and a former classmate threatening to kill him. With a 165 IQ, Stan was expected to Be Something and Go Somewhere. But when all he has is a beat-up old bike that keeps getting vandalized, he's going nowhere, faster.(1) lucky winner will receive a signed copy of Going Nowhere Faster by Sean Beaudoin
courtesy of Blog Reach Solutions
Other details:
- US mailing addresses only.
- Contest ends 2/28/11, at 9 p.m. EST.
You Killed Wesley Payne by Sean Beaudoin
You Killed Wesley Payne is a highly unusual but very thrilling detective novel. Forget Nancy Drew and Sherlock Holmes, I want to hear more from Dalton Rev! It’s hard not to be a little charmed by this fast talking, quirky kid who, despite always going where the money is, tries to hold true to his morals. As each new development in the case is revealed, and through a few well placed flashbacks, the reader comes to understand why Dalton is the way he is, and it really is fascinating to see. Everything about this novel is slightly exaggerated to the extent of being unrealistic, but I wouldn’t say that this is a bad thing at all; the tussles between the high school cliques, the corruption of the administration and law enforcement, and the somewhat odd and outrageous behavior of many of the minor characters would not normally take place in real life, but they’re part of what makes You Killed Wesley Payne such an interesting read. Despite the mixed up motives and multiple storylines, this novel remains cohesive, something I didn’t quite find in Beaudoin’s previous novel Fade to Blue. This brilliant, hilarious, and very unique story is sure to entertain readers and give them something to ponder about.
Fans of Fade to Blue, also by Sean Beaudoin, will not want to miss You Killed Wesley Payne, nor will readers who enjoyed Half-Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer.
Rating: 4.5
Review copy from Blog Reach Solutions
In regards to recent books events which I have attended...
There comes a time in every book bloggers life (okay, my life in particular) where one no longer knows how to handle book signings and events. Why? Because as much fun as they are, they can get a little overwhelming.
Why am I bringing this up now? Well, truth is, I don't know what to write about all the book events I go to anymore. Should I post pictures and give a short account of all that transpired? Should I mention everyone I saw and met? I mean, I'm pretty sure there's a decent amount of you guys who enjoy my book event posts, so I don't want to bore (with repetitive details) or annoy (with dropping names) anyone here.
So, for the time being, I will stick with a (hopefully) brief rundown of the last three book events I went to.
On January 19, I went with Mitali from Alley of Books to the Borders at Columbus Circle to see David Levithan. Yes, I have already seen David Levithan many, many times before, but this was the first event I went to for David's first adult novel, The Lover's Dictionary. Though I have not read it, and don't know if and when I will ever have the time to get around to it, I thoroughly enjoyed everything that David read from it. He is truly, in my own humble opinion, a magnificent writer on top of being an editor extraordinaire.
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| David Levithan reading from The Lover's Dictionary |
Then, on January 28, I took a roundabout way to Brooklyn to see Lauren Oliver, Anna Jarzab, and Leila Sales at WORD. I was a little late to the event, and thus I made it in time only to hear Lauren read from Delirium and the the panel, titled YA Not? It was thoroughly enjoyable to hear such intelligent people share their thoughts on YA, publishing, and everything in between. I was particularly excited to learn the titles of the final two books in the Delirium trilogy, which will be Pandemonium and Requiem. Squee!
The discussion was so scintillating that I forgot to take pictures. Let me clarify, I took a couple of pictures when I just got to WORD, but then I stopped. And I refuse to post those pictures, because, frankly, they're just terrible, which makes me sad. However, I have borrowed this picture from a couple of other bloggers in attendance from First Novels Club.
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| Anna Jarzab, Leila Sales, and Lauren Oliver (thanks to Donna for this picture) |
After that is when things got a little crazy. I met people. Lots of people were there. Interesting and nice people, publishing people, book bloggers, authors, soon-to-be-published writers, and the like. People including Mitali from Alley of Books, Donna and Frankie from First Novels Club, Lenore from Presenting Lenore, author Alexandra Bracken, soon-to-be-published Jocelyn Davies, Lauren Oliver's publicist, not to mention the fabulous featured ladies, Anna Jarzab, Leila Sales, and Lauren Oliver and everyone else in attendance.
Then I tagged along with the First Novels Club ladies to KidLit Drink Night, where, initially, I recognized about one person in the room, that being J.A. Yang, who I've seen at a couple of other events. A lot of people in attendance were from out of town and visiting for SCBWI, so that may have been a factor. I spotted (or was spotted by) a fabulous editor that I work with at Lee & Low, Stacy Whitman, and warmed up to a couple of authors, but frankly, I was way too overwhelmed to meet more people than I did.
Moving to NYC has been the biggest and most welcome change in my life. I moved here particularly because I wanted to get involved in the book publishing industry. I wanted to meet people! What I never anticipated, though, was how many people I would meet. It's really exciting, but it's kind of scary at the same time. Hopefully, the more I do this, the easier it will get!
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Delirium is a tragically beautiful masterpiece of dystopian fiction. I love reading about dystopias because they are removed but usually not entirely implausible situations of the world gone wrong. Oliver’s dystopia in Delirium is just riveting. The thought of love as a legitimate disease is both fascinating and appalling at the same time. And Oliver sets this world up wonderfully by giving adequate background to the development of the cure, the present procedures set in place to prevent an outbreak of the deliria, and the relationship between the deliria and society. In regards to the actual story, it’s hard not to be sucked in. A combination of the deliria, Lena’s vivid character, and an irresistible plot makes Delirium impossible to set down. Although the general direction of the plot and Lena’s change of heart is predictable, this will not lessen the reader’s enjoyment in the least. Oliver already proved herself a skilled and creative writer in her debut Before I Fall, and I think that she has outdone herself in Delirium. This powerful and heart wrenching tale will reach out to all readers and make them reconsider the little things they take for granted, like emotions as simple as love.
Delirium is a must read for all fans of dystopian fiction, including Birthmarked by Caragh M. O’Brien, The Giver by Lois Lowry, and Candor by Pam Bachorz. Oliver is an author to watch, and I greatly anticipate her next novel.
Rating: 5.0
Review copy from NetGalley
Escape from Furnace Giveaway
In honor of the recent release of Solitary, the second book in Alexander Gordon Smith's exciting Escape from Furnace series, I'm having a giveaway!
(1) lucky winner will receive Lockdown and Solitary by Alexander Gordon Smith
courtesy of Macmillan
Other details:
- US mailing addresses only.
- Contest ends 2/15/11, at 9 p.m. EST.
