Trailer Tuesday

Wow!  I haven't done one of these in a while.  I suppose I should start trying to get on more of a posting schedule, but I don't really "do" schedules very well!

I thought it might be cool to share a movie trailer with you.  This book was one of my favorites in 2010 and in March, the movie version is released.  The trailer looks like the movie has been pretty faithful to the book, so I can't wait to see if it really is.

So, here it is, the trailer for "Beastly"!

Win a free copy of Prom and Prejudice or The Lost Saint!

Lauren, over at Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf (which I love to read, btw) is doing a nice giveaway!

You can win a copy of Elizabeth Eulberg's newest book, "Prom and Prejudice" by visiting this page.

BUT WAIT!!  THAT"S NOT ALL!!

Lauren is also giving away a free copy of Bree Despain's new novel, "The Lost Saint".  Of course, if you read "The Dark Divine", then you'll want to rush over to try and win the sequel!  You can find it here.

And seriously, if you have not checked out Lauren's blog, you need to do so.  She has a great blog!  I love to see teens write critically and intelligently and she does both.  Now if she would only come be one of my high school students........

Dark Parties by Sara Grant

Dark Parties by Sara Grant


Dark Parties is a dystopian novel about a country that generations ago closed its borders to people and ideas. No one knows what exists outside their protected society. Neva and her best friend secretly plot to force the government to open its borders. Anyone who threatens the government seems to disappear mysteriously. Neva receives a message from her grandma who vanished without a trace 10 years ago, inviting her to escape to the outside. Now she has a choice–stay and save her country or leave and save herself. (from goodreads.com)



MY THOUGHTS

I liked this book a lot.  I didn’t love it.  Honestly, coming on the heels of two fabulous dystopian reads, this book had a lot to live up to, so it seems almost unfair.  It took me a while to get into the story, but once I did, I really enjoyed it.

I found that the character of Neva had to grow on me.  I wasn’t sure that I liked her a lot to begin with, but as the novel progressed, I realized what a strong young woman she was.  Sanna was set up in the beginning to seem like she was the strong one, but in the end, she just wasn’t.  I found that I really didn’t like Sanna all that much and I never really found a lot in her character that was redeeming.  She actually seemed sort of flat.

The male characters were very interesting.  In spite of everything, I found that I still liked Braydon a lot at the end of the novel. The author really threw in some curve balls with Ethan and Braydon that I just didn’t see coming.  That was really fun!  (For me, but probably not for the characters!)  The best part is that they were curve balls that made sense when it happened even though it may not have been what the reader was looking for at the time.

I felt that the whole idea of the protectosphere was very timely.  The terrorist attack was tied in nicely and gave one pause for reflection.  It was easy to see how the society had moved to the point of building the protectosphere as a way to “preserve their own superior cultural values.”  This, of course, should lead the reader to contemplate how this is reflected in our own society.  I liked the way the author presented these ideas in a way that should cause reflection without being in the reader’s face.

The ending was a bit of a shock for me.  I feel like it wrapped up, but I find myself wondering what happened to lots of the characters.  I can’t find any information on a sequel.  I would definitely not be opposed to one, although it is probably not necessary.  I wonder if perhaps the author has left the possibility open in case she wants to write more in the future.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable book.  It wasn’t quite as strong as some of the other dystopian fiction I’ve read lately, but it was still a good book.  I would probably rate this book A-.

Thanks to Little, Brown for the Advance Reading Copy.  This book will be available for purchase on August, 3, 2011.

Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky

Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky

Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with the solitary, digital life—until she meets Justin. Justin likes being with people. He enjoys the physical closeness of face-to-face interactions. People aren’t meant to be alone, he tells her.

Suddenly, Maddie feels something awakening inside her—a feeling that maybe there is a different, better way to live. But with society and her parents telling her otherwise, Maddie is going to have to learn to stand up for herself if she wants to change the path her life is taking.

In this not-so-brave new world, two young people struggle to carve out their own space. (from goodreads.com)

The irony did not escape me that I was reading a book about too many computerized devices on my Nook e-reader!  That philosophical musing aside, I have to say that this was a great book and evidently, hit very close to home.

I love the character of Maddie.  She is strong, yet believable.  I’m not sure how I feel about Justin.  I love him and hate him at the same time.  The supporting cast of characters are interesting as well, with Clare and Noah being my favorites, and just like everyone else, I don’t like Molly and Scott.

The action scenes in this book are riveting and like Maddie, I found myself looking over my shoulder a lot during many scenes in the book.  Another interesting point was the way that the author makes the reader hate all the digital living, but then throws a big whammie into that in the dead center of the book!  When the explanation of how digital school came to be,it gives one pause to reflect for a moment and realize that maybe the "digital side" isn’t so horribly evil.

I think that one of the things that makes this book so compelling is that it is so on-target.  This is a situation that is totally within the realm of possibility.  In fact, I often complain to my teenage daughter and my teenage students alike that they no longer do face to face very well.  They are forgetting how to interact socially.  In fact, I think that as a society we all are forgetting how to be social.  So this book is very timely.  It provided me with a lot of food for thought about my own habits and just how “plugged in” I am.

Was there anything that I didn’t like?  Yes!  The cliffhanger of an ending!!!  That has me hanging on the edge of my seat just waiting for more!

So, with a well-written story with a timely theme, an interesting cast of characters and a cliffhanger ending that will have you begging for the next installment…..what’s not to love?  I give this book a solid A.

This book is available for purchase on May 23, 2011.  Thank you Houghton Mifflin for letting me read the ARC!

My Top 5 Books for 2010

This was really hard, but here they are.  These are in no particular order because there was really no way to decide that.

I'm sure that I'm making people sick with the way I won't stop talking about this book.  Seriously, I haven't been this obsessed with a book since I read Twilight the first time.  And that, my friends, is obsession!!

I suppose that if I had to choose a number one, this book could be it, but the other 4 books are amazing as well, so I just won't rank them.

What best of list would be complete without a Cassandra Clare book?  This book was an amazing read!  I approached this one with a certain amount of trepidation because honestly, I didn't think she could recapture the magnificence of the Mortal Instruments series.

Boy, was I wrong!  This book took the Shadowhunter world and transported it to Victorian England.  That in itself was fantastic.  But then she gave me a character like Will--such an enigma!  I can't wait for the next installment of the Infernal Devices.

Cassandra Clare-- you own me!

 I can't believe it took me so long to find Kelley Armstrong.  The first book in this series grabbed me and pulled me in and then each book just got better and better.  This, the final book in the trilogy, is everything that a final book should be!

Lucky for me, this YA series introduced me to Kelley Armstrong's adult books as well, so I can still get my KA fix while waiting for the next YA series to start!

And if you can't get enough, go to Kelley Armstrong's website and she has different Darkest Powers novellas to read.  I can get more Derek!  Hooray!

Duh!  Of course the final installment in the Hunger Games trilogy is on my top 5 list.  Now, I know that a lot of people were not really satisfied with this book, but honestly, it's one of the best ending books that I've ever read.  I thought it brought the story to a close perfectly and, more importantly, realistically. 

Suzanne Collins managed to keep Katniss in character throughout the book, which was not an easy thing to do given the plotline.  Also, I think that the whole Katniss/Peeta/Gale issue came to a perfect, and believable, resolution.

I loved it!

Surprised?  No, this book is not a new release, but I just read it this year and it was definitely one of the best books I read this year.  I loved the premise--a modern re-telling of Beauty and the Beast.  I think that Alex Flinn did a beautiful job of reworking that story for a modern audience.  Kyle's growth and transformation were breathtaking.

Then the bonus was that they are releasing the movie in 2011!  I didn't know that when I first picked up the book off the shelf at my school library, but I was so happy to find out once I finished the book.  I just hope that the movie can do the book justice.  I love Alex Pettyfer, but Vanessa Hudgens?  Not so much......::shudders::

So, there you have the top 5 books that I read this year.  What were your top 5 books?  I'd love to know, so leave them for me in the comments!

Delirium by Lauren Oliver (revisited)

Book:  Delirium
Author:  Lauren Oliver
Publisher:  HarperTeen
Year:  2011
Reason I read it:  I received this as an ARC earlier in the year.  I am now re-posting this review because it is required in my YA lit class and I need my professor to see my review.
My grade:  A+

(from goodreads.com)  Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love - the deliria - blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

MY REVIEW

I’m still sitting here reeling from the ending to this book.

I’m not sure exactly how to sum up my feelings about “Delirium”.  It was intense—I was sitting on the edge of my seat through most of it, feeling as nervous as the characters and worried about who was watching!  There were times when I was disappointed by the characters, times when I was so angry at people or the situation and times when I felt heartbroken.

But nothing could have prepared me for the ending.  And that was really dumb, because Ms. Oliver did a nice job of foreshadowing it, but I only saw that at the end.  As soon as I finished the last page, I immediately ran to the internet to see if there is a sequel.  Thank goodness, there is a sequel!  In fact, there are 2!!!  Now I just need to figure out how I will survive until 2012.

The premise of this book is so engaging.  The government is curing humans from the malady of love.  At the beginning of each chapter, there is a quote from some religious text or official government document about the dangers of love and why you need to be cured of it.  I liked seeing that at the beginning of each chapter.  It made everything seem more realistic.  It was also nice the way the author twisted books and documents that we are familiar with to make them fit the story.

It’s an interesting concept and the reasoning is compelling.  After all, think of the problems and tragedies created by love.  The famous literary characters who have suffered immeasurable heartache and tragic destiny because of love:  Romeo and Juliet, Lancelot and Guinevere, Tristan and Isolde, Anthony and Cleopatra, Samson and Delilah, poor, mad Ophelia.  All destroyed by the power of love.  It’s definitely food for thought.  Of course, seeing what people become without love was heartbreaking also.  I really liked the way the author described the reactions of the citizens.  

I loved the characters in the book.  Lena grows so much as a person in this book.  It is beautiful to see how she transforms.  I really like Hana and I am hoping that things turn out ok for her and also for Grace.  Alex is, of course, a magnificent character.  But the "cured" characters are interesting also, if only because they are so not interesting!  The juxtaposition between the cured and the uncured characters was fascinating.

This book was an incredible read and I’ve really started out 2011 with a bang!  If this book is any indication of my reading for the rest of the year, then I’m in for a stellar year of reading!

This book is a solid A+!!  Thanks to Harper Collins for giving me a chance to read it!

This book will be available for purchase on February 1, 2011.

Wither Giveaway

Pure Imagination is giving away a copy of Wither by Lauren Destefano!  Check out the contest details here.  This book looks really interesting. 

(from www.goodreads.com) 

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.

This book releases in March.