Masque of the Red Death

Masque of the Red Death
by Bethany Griffin
Published April 2012 by Greenwillow Books

Summary (goodreads):

Everything is in ruins.A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them. So what does Araby Worth have to live for?
Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.
But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does. And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

Review:
I picked this one up when one of my favorite authors left a tempting review for it on Goodreads before it was released. It follows Araby Worth into a world corrupted by plague and the rich King Prospero. Everyone wears masks to avoid catching the plague, but they are normally only afforded by the rich. For me, the story was hard to follow in the beginning, just because there would be a scene transition but the flow of the writing didn't allow for me to pick up on such things. Again, it was probably because of the type of reader I am (FAST!). I liked the secondary characters and the ending was very unpredictable, at least to me, something that doesn't happen often in YA books anymore. I finished it in a few days of reading on and off because the story and the writing pulled me into the world, and I didn't want to leave until the book was finished. The ending left me a bit unsatisfied, but I was happier when I checked again on Goodreads and found that it is actually going to be a series.

3.5/5

Friends with Boys

Friends with Boys

Faith Erin Hicks

Published Feb. 2012 by First Second

224 illustrated pages

Summary:

A coming-of-age tale with a spooky twist!

Maggie McKay hardly knows what to do with herself. After an idyllic childhood of homeschooling with her mother and rough-housing with her older brothers, it’s time for Maggie to face the outside world, all on her own. But that means facing high school first. And it also means solving the mystery of the melancholy ghost who has silently followed Maggie throughout her entire life. Maybe it even means making a new friend—one who isn’t one of her brothers.

Review:

This graphic novel follows Maggie, a homeschooled teenager, and her immersion into public high school. She has a challenge: making a friend that isn’t one of her 3 older brothers. Kookier still, is a ghost that follows Maggie around through various points of the story. Not only does she have to deal with High School but a ghost as well.

Hicks does a great job putting you in the shoes of Maggie. Each page is richly illustrated with backgrounds and there is a lot of feeling behind character’s facial expressions. It’s surprising how she uses body language and expressions to say things that are unsaid, like the animosity between her eldest brother and one of her new friends.

The novel sometimes feels like a slice of life comic, with no particular plot line. It seems to gain more of a storyline near the end of the book, and I’m hoping for something a bit more structured in book 2.

I’m also still a little unclear on why the author chose the title she did for the series, but I assume that in the original drafts the storyline pertained a bit more to the title.

Fans of the Scott Pilgrim series will most likely enjoy Friends with Boys.

3.5/5

The Deathday Letter

Deathday Letter

by Shaun Hutchinson

Published by Simon Pulse June 2010

256 pages

Summary (from Amazon): Oliver lives in a world where at some point in their lives, everyone receives a Deathday Letter, a letter that kindly lets you know you have twenty-four hours left to live. Abraham Lincoln received one, Heath Ledger received one, and on an otherwise typical Thursday morning, fifteen-year-old Oliver Travers receives one. Bummer.

With his best friend by his side, Ollie has one day left to live life to the fullest, go on every adventure possible…and set things right with the girl of his dreams.

Review:

Set in a world like our own where people receive letters letting them know when they are going to die, you think that this story would be a bit darker. The main character Oliver, is a riot. There were so many times I had to stop reading the book because I was laughing too hard. His wit and sense of humor keep the story fresh while he lives out his last day alive with his two friends.

While it is a story about a boy living his last day, there is also great character development. The Ollie we see at the beginning of the story is very different from the one at the end. He learns that even though he’s going to die, there are others that are going to have to deal with the grief left behind. He goes from being a very selfish boy to finally realizing that the world doesn’t revolve around him.

The only thing I found annoying was the constant “me-me-me” attitude of Ollie. At first it’s funny, but after a while it begins to grate on your nerves. Still, I loved this book and it was a fun read.

3.5/5

Fracture

Fracture
Megan Miranda
Published January 17th 2012 by Walker Childrens
284 pages

Summary (from Goodreads):

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

Review
I recieved an ebook sampler containing the first chapter of this book and wow, was I hooked. Delaney Maxwell falls through the thin ice of a lake and is underwater for 11 minutes before she's rescued. But miraculously, after 6 days she's awake and fully functional out of a coma. A modern medical miracle.
But is she alright? You follow Delaney through what her doctors and parents call "hallucinations" where she feels a pull towards people for some reason and the mysterious shadow figures she sees when she follows these pulls.

I liked the relationship between Delaney and her friend Decker, mostly because there was a lot of character developement between the two. Delaney has to deal with very real problems after her stint at the hospital, mainly trying to get her life back into the normal pattern it was in before she died and came back. Her relationship with Decker, her relationship with her mother and father, and he relationship with this mysterious man Troy Varga, that knows about her and almost died from a coma as well.

For a debut novel, this one was a good read. It hooked me from the very beginning, and while some parts of the book felt lacking or the pacing a little slow, I ultimately wanted to know what would happen so I kept reading.

If you like darker stories, I would definitely recommend Fracture. This might also be a good read for reluctant readers because it is rather short and does a great job of catching the reader's attention from the beginning.

3.5/5

Dearly, Departed (Gone with Respiration #1)

Dearly, Departed
Lia Habel
Del-Ray October 18, 2011
496 pages

Summary: (from Amazon)
Can a proper young victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the mores of an antique era. Sixteen-year-old Nora Dearly is far more interested in her country’s political unrest than in silly debutante balls. But the death of her beloved parents leaves Nora at the mercy of a social-climbing aunt who plans to marry off her niece for money. To Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses. Now she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting a fatal virus that raises the dead. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and thoroughly deceased. But like the rest of his special undead unit, Bram has been enabled by luck and modern science to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

Review:
I didn't actually read this book, but actually listened to the audio book. You're introduced to Nora Dearly, who is in mourning of her deceased father in Neo-Victoria (high techology civilization with customs of the Victorian era). I grew to love Nora, mainly because she was a girl put in her culture that thought against the norms. She cared nothing about being in a profitable marriage, and she was the type of female protagonist that I enjoy reading: Strong and unwilling to bend to other's opinions. She's an easily likeable character.

When she officially meets Bram Griswold, a member of a secret zombie army troop, Nora keeps her head. I grew to love Bram's character and all of the secondary character zombies, although it seemed that there was quite a few of them and could be hard to keep up with at times (I loved Chas!).

What I think brought this novel down is the changing of POVs between 5 characters. While the switching between Nora and Bram was almost expected, the 3 other characters, Nora's best friend Pamela, Nora's father Victor, and Wolfe, were a little much. While I did enjoy Pamela's chapters (for the most part they were normally action filled), the author could have maybe inserted more action with Nora and Bram instead of the constant switching. It made it hard for me to keep up with the events, making the book feel like it was dragging its legs behind it.

All in all, it's a good debut novel, filled with more zombies than you can shake a stick at. I might give the second book a read, just to see what happens to Nora and Bram.

3/5 stars

You Wish

You Wish
Mandy Hubbard
August 5, 2010, Razorbill
272 pages

Summary(from goodreads):
Kayla McHenry's sweet sixteen sucks! Her dad left, her grades dropped, and her BFF is dating the boy Kayla's secretly loved for years. Blowing out her candles, Kayla thinks: I wish my birthday wishes actually came true. Because they never freakin' do.

Kayla wakes the next day to a life-sized, bright pink My Little Pony outside her window. Then a year's supply of gumballs arrives. A boy named Ken with a disturbing resemblance to the doll of the same name stalks her. As the ghosts of Kayla's wishes-past appear, they take her on a wild ride . . . but they MUST STOP. Because when she was fifteen? She wished Ben Mackenzie would kiss her. And Ben is her best friend's boyfriend.

Review:
First off, I want to say that I loved the whimsy that this book held. How many times has one blown out the candles on the birthday cake wishing something extraordinary would happen? I for one cannot remember wishes from one year to the next, so it was definitely a fun read for Kayla to live through the wishes she had asked for through different periods in her life.

I liked how fun this book was to read, and there were several moments where I laughed out loud. The character growth that Kayla went through from making the wish and to the end of the book was very realistic. She dealt with feelings for her estranged father and tried to gain attention from her workaholic mother. These are situations that teens have to deal with a lot more with working class parents.

I found the book fun and a quick read. For some reason, the book read a bit older than one published in 2010, but it was still a good, fun read.

4/5

Lady of the Rivers

The Lady of the Rivers
Phillipa Gregory
Simon & Schuster Ltd - September 15, 2011

Summary (from Amazon.com):

A story rich in passion and legend, The Lady of the Rivers is the story of Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford, a woman who navigated a treacherous path through the battle lines in the Wars of the Roses. When Jacquetta is married to the Duke of Bedford, English regent of France, he introduces her to a mysterious world of learning and alchemy. Her only friend in the great household is the duke’s squire Richard Woodville, who is at her side when the duke’s death leaves her a wealthy young widow. The two become lovers and marry in secret, returning to England to serve at the court of the young King Henry VI, where Jacquetta becomes a close and loyal friend to his new queen.
 
The Woodvilles soon achieve a place at the very heart of the Lancaster court, though Jacquetta can sense the growing threat from the people of England and the danger of their royal York rivals. As Jacquetta fights for her king and her queen, she can see an extraordinary and unexpected future for her daughter Elizabeth: a change of fortune, the throne of England, and the white rose of York. . . .

Review

I previously read White Queen when it was released a few years ago and I enjoyed it. While I was shelving the new books (I work at a library!), I saw The Lady of the Rivers and decided to give it a shot. I especially enjoy a good historical book with a strong, female protagonist, and as I began reading, I was lunged into the story following Jacquetta; especially the moments where her "ancestor", the mermaid Melusina, was spoken of. At the beginning of the story Jacquetta's family is guarding Joan of Arc from the English that wanted her brought to justice. Jacquetta learns very young that the time that she is in, woman who seek power are easily brought down. While Joan did not, she watches other women she respects, women who are learned, are easily persecuted because of it.

While I know that Phillipa Gregory is known for her strong female leads, after Jacquetta marries the duke, it is as if she becomes stale. She falls into place like the other ladies of her time. Even after her husband dies and she remarries, it is almost as if the book then turns to focus more on Margaret of Anjou than Jacquetta herself. I know Ms. Gregory is probably doing that to fills holes, as Jacquetta was probably not very well documented, but none the less, if that was her plan, then she should have written the book about Margaret instead.

The Lady of the Rivers is a good read, but it tends to drag on, especially with the constant use of titles and Lords and lands. Margaret also tends to make the book feel a lot longer, just because of her childish behavior. I felt that the whole "middle" of the book was just a grueling process. I wish that it had been more interesting like the beginning and the end.

It was an okay read, it made me feel as if I could have easily skipped a few pages and still known what was going on, but Gregory does a great job of bringing a strong female voice to Jacquetta.

3/5

Soulless (Parasol Protectorate #1)

Soulless: A Parasol Protectorate Novel
by Gail Carriger
Orbit 2009

Summary (from Goodreads):
Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.
Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

SOULLESS is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking

Review

I first read Soulless in graphic novel form, illustrated by one of my favorite artists, REM. After I loved the graphic novel so much, I decided to check out the actual novel, wondering if the graphic novel had been based on a different script like the Vampire Kisses graphic novels. Come to find out, the graphic novel is pretty much like the actual novel. It was very interesting to read both and compare the differences of the two, but at the same time each of the forms shine in their own way.

Soulless is unlike anything I have ever read. It combines things that interest me: victorian era, supernatural creatures, and steampunk science. Not only that, but Ms. Carriger does a wonderful job of writing Alexia's sarcastic and whitty nature making her interactions with Lord Maccon wonderfully fun to read. Not only that, but I love ALL the characters of Soulless, even the "bad" ones. Each character has it's own quirks and personalities. I absolutely adore Lord Akeldama, Alexia's flamboyant vampire friend and there hasn't been too many novels out there that has achieved what Ms. Carriger has on the likeable characters front.

Soulless was a quick read due to whitty dialogue and fast paced action scenes, I definely reccomend this book if you are a fan of Meg Cabot, as it reads similar to Cabot's writing style.

5/5

The Future of Us

The Future of Us
Jay Acker; Carolyn Macker
Razorbill 2011

Summary:
The year is 1996 and friends Josh and Emma log on to the internet via an AOL CD and are shocked when their Facebook pages come up. The thing is, Facebook doesn't exist yet and their facebook pages are 15 years into the future. By refreshing their pages, they find that the decisions they make in the present can affect their life outcomes in the future. As the two deal with the cards their future has dealt them, they try to figure out what went wrong--and what needs to be done right-- in the present.

Review
This book was recommended to me by two teen volunteers that come into the library. I was not displeased. It was a bit of nostalgia for me, first off, because the book takes place in 1996 and both of the main characters are teenagers. In 1996, I was only 9 years old, but a lot of the things in the book made me remember a lot of things from my childhood, like Discmans. One would also think, that as a teen book set in 1996, it may be lost on today's teen audience, since most of them were only babies during that time. Here's where the Facebook portion of the book pulls in the "new age" readers by giving them something to relate to and have them understand why the two main characters are so confused about the future.

I also liked the theme of "What you do now follows you for life". This is especially true since both Emma and Josh are seniors who are about to go to college, and I remember everyone and their mom telling me in high school to make good decisions as the ones you make when you're young can affect you when you're an adult. Emma is unhappy with her life and is constantly trying to alter it so Future!Emma will be happy while Josh, presumably happy with his outcome, begins persuing his future wife even though she's "out of his league".

The pacing and the voices of the book makes the characters real and makes the book an easy read. I loved the ending and how all the peices seemed to fall into place for the main characters.

Teens that enjoy the movies Back to the Future will love this book as that is what I was constantly reminded of during reading. I would also recommend this to reluctant readers as the plot isn't too deep and not overcomplicated with excessive details.

4/5