romance

Review: All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin

| Tasha

all these things ive done

All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin

This is the first book in a new dystopian science fiction series by the author of Elsewhere.  In the year 2083, the United States are in a darker time.  Coffee and chocolate are illegal, water is rationed, phone calls are very expensive, and paper books are antiques.  Anya Balanchine lives with her grandmother who is kept alive with machines, her older brother and her younger sister.  She is the daughter of New York’s most powerful mob boss, who unfortunately was killed years earlier right in front of Anya and her sister.  Her mother is dead too, murdered in her car which is how her older brother received his brain injury.  But Anya is determined to stay clear of her family’s connections and have a real life.  Yet everything comes back to chocolate, crime and family, and what Anya will have to do to protect the people she loves.

Zevin has created a book that takes place in a dystopian world.  While she gives lots of details about that world and about New York City as a decaying giant, the focus is on Anya, her family and her friends.   The book has such focus and is so well written, readers won’t miss the larger world being explained.  Instead this is about an insular world inside of a dystopian setting.  The focus is powerful, creating a gripping reading experience.

In Anya, Zevin has created a protagonist who is razor sharp, very tough, yet melts like chocolate too.  The romance in this book is beautifully built.  It reads as real, poignant, and star-crossed.  Anya is a young woman carrying far more than her share of the weight of the world.  This first book in a series reads as a complete and satisfying story, yet as a reader I was thrilled to see it was only the beginning.

Get this into the hands of fans of Holly Black’s White Cat.  The combination of mob and dystopian make this a thriller that is sure to surprise and delight.  Appropriate for ages 15-17.

Reviewed from copy received from Farrar Straus & Giroux.

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Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

| Tasha

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Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Released September 29, 2011.

Lola’s clothes are beyond fashion, they are costume and she is proud of it.  She has a hot rocker boyfriend, who is 5 years older.  She has two great dads who may be strict, but they adore her.  The only trouble is they don’t adore her boyfriend at all.  She also has a mother who struggles with addiction and homelessness, and whom Lola tries to minimize contact with.  But Lola has things pretty much under control until the Bell twins move back in next door.  There is Calliope Bell, the famous ice skater, but even more devastating is the return of Cricket Bell, who broke Lola’s heart two years ago.  Now Lola has a life she’s built for herself, but there’s no denying that her feelings are still there for Cricket along with a tingly connection that she feels only with him.

Perkins returns with another gem of a romantic novel that is sure to be very popular with teen readers.  She once again features a strong and unique heroine who is a charming mix of confidence and doubt.  Lola is also smart and funny, making her a pleasure to spend time with.  Perkins also excels at having sexually active characters who don’t regret their sexuality.  Her female protagonists feel lust as well as love, making them very believable teen characters.

Lola is a great lead character, and Perkins surrounds her with other strong characters as well.  From her fathers who are gay men written without any stereotyping to Cricket himself to her best friend, all of them are well-rounded and interesting.  There are a couple of characters who are written less positively, like Calliope Bell and Lola’s mother.  Even these characters are well developed and reach beyond what could have been cardboard depictions.

If you loved Anna and the French Kiss, you must get your hands on this companion novel and meet Lola.  Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Reviewed from ARC received from Dutton Books.

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Review: Zombie in Love by Kelly DiPucchio

| Tasha

zombie in love

Zombie in Love by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Scott Campbell

Mortimer the zombie is lonely.  Cupid’s Ball is approaching and he has no one to take.  He does try hard, giving girls candy, hearts, and even diamonds.  But something about him seems to turn them off.  He tries reading advice books, working out, and dance lessons, but nothing worked.  Finally, he takes out an ad in the paper (which Jimmy Buffet fans will be able to hum along to) that invites that special someone to meet him at Cupid’s Ball.  He dresses up and sits by the punch bowl.  But no one takes any notice of him.  Finally, he decides to leave, until he hears a crash behind him, just in time.

DiPucchio fills this book with plenty of zombie puns.  Just the personals ad alone offers plenty of laughs.  She has created a book that works on many levels.  Children will enjoy the simple storyline while tweens and teens will get the puns and antics. 

A lot of the humor is visual in this book.  Campbell’s illustrations have a great wild and zany quality to them that suits the story.  From the dangling eyeball of Mortimer’s skeleton dog to the worms that appear throughout the book, there is plenty to love here.

A wonderful pick for either Halloween or Valentine’s Day or any day in between, this book is a funny look at love, zombie style.  Appropriate for ages 6-12.

Reviewed from copy received from Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Book Review–Where She Went by Gayle Forman

| Tasha

whereshewent

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

The sequel to If I Stay tells the story of what happened in the three years since the accident that killed Mia’s family and left her choosing between life and death.  The three years since Mia headed to Julliard and left Adam behind, completely.  Now Adam is a rock star living in LA, riding on the fame that his songs of heartbreak and anger created.  Songs that were inspired by his loss of Mia.  But the life of a rock star is not working out well for Adam.  He has to take medication to calm himself down, is no longer traveling or living with his band, and worries that he may have to leave music behind entirely.  In one final evening before he leaves on a long tour, the impossible happens and he meets up with Mia at one of her concerts.  The two of them explore Mia’s New York, and explore the accident and devastation that caused them to pull apart.

This sequel is just as beautifully written as the first book.  Forman excels at exploring emotion, writing it in such a way that it causes readers to feel it inside their own skin.  Without overwriting at all, Forman creates a lyrical and sparking prose that rings with truth and feelings.  In this second book, she explores betrayal, abandonment, grief and success. 

The characters have nicely grown since the first book, showing that the three years have changed them but not enough to leave readers behind.  These young adults bear the scars of their previous relationship, scars that imprint so many of their choices and reactions.  And then we have the city of New York, which is almost a character herself.  The background to the reunion that serves as action and adventure for the characters.

A compelling, surprising and haunting sequel.  This is one that fans of If I Stay will be satisfied and enthralled by.  Appropriate for ages 16-18.

Reviewed from copy received from Penguin Young Readers Group.

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Across the Universe: Stellar Science Fiction

| Tasha

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Across the Universe by Beth Revis

What a pleasure to read some great science fiction for teens!  At age 17, Amy joins her parents on the trip of a lifetime, or many lifetimes, as they are frozen for a voyage of 300 years to a colonize a new planet.   Flash ahead several hundred years and the ship Godspeed that carries the frozen bodies has created its own society over the centuries.  16-year-old Elder is the next leader of the ship, chosen from when he was an infant to lead.  He has been raised and taught by Eldest, the current leader.  But something is going wrong.  There are secrets everywhere he turns, and no one will give him the answers he needs to be the next Eldest.  To make things worse, someone has begun attacking the frozen people, and it just might be the people Elder trusts most.  This taut thriller of a novel marries mystery, science fiction and romance into a gripping read.

Revis has written a genre-bending novel that will attract many different types of readers.  Her building of the world inside the ship is amazing in its attention to detail.  The complexities of this small world flying through space are solid and fascinating.  Readers will slowly come to understand the secret horrors of life aboard the ship and are guaranteed feel claustrophobic as the metal walls seem to close in. 

Amy is a heroine with plenty of spunk and attitude.  Elder is a more subtle hero, filled with self-doubt and sometimes self-loathing, he is a complex character who has been living with lies entire life.  It is Elder that is the amazing creation in this novel.  A boy who is destined to lead but doesn’t see how. 

I do have one quibble with the book, but it comes so close to the end that I don’t want to ruin the novel for anyone.  It was one twist too many for me and a breaking of literary conventions.  I came away frustrated by the ending but blown away by the novel itself.

An enticing blend of genres, this book would be an ideal book talk choice for librarians looking for a title that will appeal to most teens.  It has an amazing opening chapter that makes it impossible to put down.  Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Reviewed from copy received from Penguin.

The Big Crunch: Intelligent, Funny and Real

| Tasha

The Big Crunch

The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman

June is constantly moving because of her father’s job.  She has a system when she enters any new school. She wanted to join the kids who were cool, but not too cool.  Wes noticed June that first day, mentally dubbing her Aqua Girl because of her sea-green eyes and wide mouth.  The two of them are attracted to each other, but not in the way you read about in most teen novels.  There was no overwhelming burning desire, no sparkling in the sun.  Instead they noticed each other, orbited each other, dated other people, and eventually realized that they might have something special between them.   This is a book about how love really is, how strange, how dull, how powerful, how amazing, and how filled with anguish.  It is a book filled with humor, wit and a wonderful intelligence.

Hautman has managed to capture the reality of teen romance in a book.  Yes, there is natural attraction, but it is not a story of epic love.  Rather it is charming in its ordinariness.  By telling the story from both June and Wes’ perspectives, Hautman really allows readers to see that love stories are told in small moments of regular life rather than passionate embraces.  Both characters are people that are intriguing and funny.  They have distinct voices, attitudes and reasons for being with one another. 

Hautman’s writing lingers on those small and important moments, because so does the mind of the characters.  Wes thinks about June’s face again and again, the small things that make her unique and intriguing to him.  These are the pieces that fit together into love, that these characters build their realistic relationship from.  And that is not to slight their love and passion for one another, which are tangible and lovely throughout the story. 

A realistic book on teen love that is uplifting, funny and a delight.  I appreciate the cover being more than just a shot of two heads or worse two headless torsos together.  This reflects the book and the feel of it well.  Get this in the hands of kids looking for a romance with fewer teeth and more tenderness.  Appropriate for ages 13-17.

Reviewed from ARC received from Scholastic.

Anna and the French Kiss: Romance in Paris

| Tasha

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Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna is not happy that she’s been sent to boarding school in Paris just because her bestselling author father decided it.  She doesn’t speak any French at all, is missing out on her senior year in Atlanta, and just connected with a cute boy who works with her.  Anna quickly meets a group of kids at the school who have been attending it for years.  Most of them are American seniors, but one boy is part French, part English, part American and entirely perfect.  Unfortunately, he is in a serious long-term relationship and Anna does have that boy back in Atlanta.  So Anna and Etienne become good friends, watch movies together, and struggle to make sure that their relationship stays just friendly.  Filled with lots of romance and plenty of romantic tension, this book is hot, never heavy, and pure bliss.

Perkins has captured the streets of Paris, creating the vibe and feel of a European city seen through the eyes of an American teen.  Readers will enjoy discovering the city with Anna and will love living vicariously through her adventures.  Perkins has also created teens who talk like teenagers, tease like bright teens, get drunk, get angry, lose control, but don’t destroy their lives.  She has written authentic teens who react to real life as real people.  Add to this mix of breathtaking setting and authentic voice, a beautiful love story and you have a winning read.  Perkins has managed to avoid the cliché of the love triangle, instead focusing on two people who are drawn to one another but aren’t available. 

Anna is a protagonist who grows throughout the book in many ways.  She becomes more confident as she leaves her dorm room and walks the streets of Paris.  She also becomes a lot more honest with herself, about the boy back in the states, her best friend in Atlanta, and her true feelings for Etienne.  She is a wonderfully drawn protagonist who is filled with emotions but also plenty of self control.  It makes for a dynamic and fascinating character.  Etienne is equally well drawn with his great hair and handsomeness.  He is not perfect though, he tends to be overly cautious, is desperately scared of heights, and is a tad short. 

Highly recommended, this romance is much more than fluff but has plenty of heady romantic moments too.  Appropriate for ages 15-18. 

Reviewed from ARC received from Penguin.

Matched: A Dystopian Romance

| Tasha

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Matched by Ally Condie

Released November 30, 2010.

An enticing mix of dystopian science fiction and romance, this is the first book in a trilogy.  Cassia trusts the Society with her entire life.  She trusts it to pick the best job for her skills.  She trusts it to decide who she will love.  She trusts it to decide when people die.  So when she attends her Matching ceremony and the face of one of her best friends is shown as her ideal match, she knows it is meant to be.  Xander is handsome, clever and kind.  That’s what makes it all the more confusing when Cassia looks at his data and she momentarily sees the face of another boy she knows.  Ky is quiet, a mysterious handsome loner who moved to their area from the Outer Provinces.  Cassia finds herself drawn to Ky and starting to think outside of the rules of the Society.  Learning to write in cursive, a skill lost for the people of her city, Cassia discovers a longing to create things for herself outside of the limits assigned by the Society.  Their love itself is forbidden, and something that could bring them to the attention of the Officials at any moment.  Now Cassia must choose between the comfort of life as she has always led to or the danger of the unknown and love.

Condie has created a society that is detailed and fascinating.  Within the Society, she asks questions that modern teens should be considering about privacy, personal choice, and the public good.  These questions are present in the book, but offered up in a subtle way.  The world building here is logical.  Condie excels at slowly revealing the horrors of this world, at first allowing readers to see the world as Cassia does, one with few troubles and many answers. 

Cassia is a great protagonist.  Even though this is a romantic novel, Cassia is strong and brilliant.  A large part of the success here is that Cassia is not concerned about her looks, but more concerned about looking beyond the glossy surface of perfection.  Happily, both of Cassia’s love interests are equally interesting, kind and bright.  This is not about a villain vs. a hero.  It is far more nuanced than that, as are all of the choices that Cassia faces in the novel.

I look forward to the next in this trilogy.  This first book finished with just the right amount of unanswered questions to keep readers intrigued for the next book and not so many as to be frustrating.  Appropriate for ages 13-15.

Reviewed from ARC received from Penguin.

Paranormalcy – A Fresh Lush Paranormal Romance

| Tasha

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

I thought I’d had my fill of paranormal books for teens.  The last few I had tried were duds, given up only part way through.  Then I started hearing a buzz about Paranormalcy and I took one look at that divine cover and just had to read it.  Am I ever glad I did!

Evie has worked for the IPCA (International Paranormal Containment Agency) since she was eight.  She has a unique talent that no one has ever seen before, she can see through the glamours that paranormals put up to hide themselves from view.  When she looks at a gorgeous vampire, she sees the dead person beneath.  When she looks at a werewolf in human form, she sees the wolf eyes.  So she works as a paranormal hunter, tracking down rogue paranormals and containing them.  But now something is killing the paranormals and Evie has begun to have strange dreams that seem connected.  Plus her ex-boyfriend, a faerie named Reth, is trying to kidnap her and no one is taking him seriously.  Evie’s dull life of monster hunting is about to change, and it just may be all her fault!

White writes with a wonderful bite of sarcasm, a gift for description, and an ability to show emotion without telling it.  She has managed to take an over-extended genre and make it feel new and fresh.  A large part of that is the unique perspective of Evie herself, a character who is awed by the normal from being surrounded by the paranormal.  She is an innocent in our world, taking her own amazing world for granted.  She’s a great character to view the paranormal through.  Evie is a very strong female character.  She’s a monster hunter, a rule breaker, and someone who can use her brains to get out of a lot of scrapes.  She’s one tough girl.

There is plenty of romance in the story too.  The romance scenes in the book are sensual and tender without going too far.  White has created an amazing boyfriend for Evie combined with a very interesting ex-boyfriend.  Add this sizzling romance to the adventure and action and you have a book that is impossible to put down.

The cover of this book will sell it right off of your shelves, but if Twilight fans are looking for the next great fantasy read, get this in their hands.  Thanks to the strong female lead, I’d also hand it to Hunger Games readers.  Appropriate for ages 13-15.

Reviewed from library copy.

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