YA | Read. Breathe. Relax. | Best young adult books and best fantasy books review blog

YA Book Review: Pivot Point by Kasie West

Mar 29 |08:11

Pivot Point is an amazing book! It’s so different than any YA novel I’ve read lately, and it is definitely a 2013 standout!

Book Review: Pivot Point by Kasie West

Goodreads | Amazon | Author Website

Title & Author: Pivot Point by Kasie West

Genre: YA – Paranormal, Science Fiction

Release Date: February 12, 2013

Series: Pivot Point #1

Publisher: HarperTeen

How I Got the Book: Finished copy via the Publisher

Description:

“Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.”

Two Paths Diverged in a Wood

Pivot Point is genius. It combines fun YA paranormal abilities with an interesting perspective on making decisions in a real-life choose your own adventure story.

Addison is part of a super-secret paranormal community that exists within the confines of the “regular” or normal world. People in the compound can move things with their minds, persuade others to do their bidding, or in her case, see and live both paths of a situation when she’s faced with a choice.

Although she’s never thought it was an overly stunning gift, she’s thankful for it when she faces one of the biggest decisions of her life – stay with her mom in the compound OR leave with her dad to go into the normal world.

Knowing she needs to find out what will be the better choice, Addison “searches” her future – essentially living out both choices at once (although it doesn’t feel that way to her).

Each chapter of the book after Addison searches alternates between her two paths. You would think it would get confusing, but Kasie West does a great job of keeping things clear and on track.

What I loved about Pivot Point was the originality of the story – this isn’t something I’ve ever read before. Plus, it plays with the idea of making always knowing the right thing to do and if fate really exists.

He shrugs.”Doesn’t help to waste my time thinking about would’ve beens.” Laila whispers,”He says to the girl with a mind full of them.”

The writing is witty and charming. Addie has an amazing sense of humor and a wholly authenticate teen voice.

OVERALL:

What an amazing surprise. I loved, loved, LOVED this book, and I hope you do to. Pivot Point is definitely in the contenders for one of my favorite books of 2013 – highly recommended.

Book Review: The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Mar 11 |08:10

The Madman’s Daughter cover is perfect: calm with an underlying tension and creepiness. Normally, the creepiness factor outweighs everything else, but in this novel’s case, it worked in its favor.

Book Review: The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Goodreads | Amazon | Author Website

Title & Author: The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Genre: YA – Fantasy, Retelling

Release Date: January 29, 2013

Series: The Madman’s Daughter #1

Publisher: Baltzar + Bray

How I Got the Book: Bought

Description:

“In the darkest places, even love is deadly.

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father’s gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father’s handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father’s madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island’s inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father’s dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it’s too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father’s genius—and madness—in her own blood.”

Ya’ll Gonna Make Me Lose My Mind (Up in here, up in here)

With inspiration from the H.G. Wells book, The Island of Doctor Moreau, you can assume with 100 percent accuracy that The Madman’s Daughter was creep-tastic. The book was haunting and scary.

Juliet is struggling to get by in London – she’s working as a maid and trying to forget her family’s dark past. When she runs into Montgomery, her father’s assistant from years’ past, she starts to hope again: her father could be alive. She assumed the worst after the scientific community discredited his work and ambitions and he disappeared.

Thus starts Juliet’s journey toward the faraway island where her father lives and where a darkness deeper than she ever could have known is waiting for her.

What is amazing about this novel is how dark and disturbing it gets and how it still maintains a sense of young-adultness. Sometimes being a young adult novel is more than having characters who fit the age bracket.

It’s also about keeping young adult themes alive and well, and in The Madman’s Daughter, self-discovery and seeking parental approval play a major part in the story. Meanwhile, there’s also the fact that a beast is on the loose on the island and is killing innocent islanders.

What is really interesting about Juliet is that she knows her father (Dr. Moreau) has some great darkness in him. She still loves him and accepts him…but those limits are being tested once she lands on the island and sees what he’s been working on since he’s been away.

Juliet also knows how similar she is to her father – how she has his analytical mind and interest in science. She also knows the same darkness lives in her because she’s seen it rear it’s ugly head before.

Ya’ll Gonna Make Me Act a Fool (Up in here, up in here)

The Madman’s Daughter is a great book for three key reasons. One, it has a super interesting setting. The island (where most of the story takes place) is such a unique setting. Also it’s inhabitants are very…unusual as well.

Two, there is so much tension in the book that it drove me to read is at warp-speed. Who’s killing the islanders? How much does Montgomery know…is he hiding anything? Has Dr. Moreau crossed the line between playing God?

Three, the love triangle in the book was well-done and played off of a lot of different themes: class, status and honor.

OVERALL

Although I don’t recommend reading this debut novel at night…I do recommend that you read it. The Madman’s Daughter combined mystery, creepiness and romance is a really exciting and unique way – overall an awesome read.

Top 10 Most Intense YA Love Triangles

Feb 12 |08:45

A love triangle. In YA you can’t live with them and can’t live without them.

So, I’m going a bit rogue this week. Because Valentine’s Day is such a mixed holiday of romance, consumerism and drama, I had to celebrate the YA way with love triangles. We can rarely escape them, so why not “celebrate them?”

Top Ten Tuesdays are hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Join the meme and link up on their site!

Top 10 Most Intense YA Love Triangles

1Bella, Edward and Jacob- Twilight. This love triangle was so intense because it lasted so many books. Meyer really made us fight to find out who Bella would pick…like it would be a surprise…

2Peeta, Katniss, Gale - The Hunger Games. Ok, this one was definitely off the charts crazy. Especially because Katniss was pretending to be in love with Peeta for the games like 90 percent of the time.

3Lena, Alex and Julian- Delirium. Although this love triangle spans two books, it’s about to get super real in Requiem. AND it will get resolved, no less.

4Cassia, Ky, Xander- Matched. I still don’t know how this one turns out. I stopped reading mid-way through Crossed. Now THAT is seriously the worst!

5Celeana, Prince Dorian and Choal- Throne of Glass. I loved loved loved this book last year. I cannot wait to see what develops and blossoms in Crown of Midnight.

6Helen, Lucas and Orion- Starcrossed. This love triangle is getting more and more complicated. I honestly don’t know who will win out though (even though these things typically follow a pretty basic pattern).

7America, Aspen and Maxon- The Selection. I still loved this book despite all the negative reviews (and unfortunate author scandal). Does America go with her long-time friend now boyfriend or top royalty. Decisions, decisions.

8Zoe, Max, Adrien- Glitch. Just when I thought this one was done, Override through me. Not in an obvious way, but I’m wondering what’s coming up for this dynamic trio.

9Blue, Gansy, Adam— The Raven Boys. This love triangle is also less obvious. The thing is Blue is foretold to fall in love with Gansy, but in The Raven Boys, she clearly has a thing for Adam. Hrmmmmm.

10Saba, Jack, He Must Not Be Named (Not Voldy)— Rebel Heart. I can’t even go into this. I hate spoilers so I just can’t, but like…Saba totally goes ape-shizz in this book.

BONUS: Cuz you’re awesome…and also because I lost track of how many love triangles I had…

11Adam, Warner, Juliette- Shatter Me. I’m LOVING this love triangle and no one can convince me otherwise. It’s just too darn good.

What is YOUR favorite YA love triangle?

Book Review: The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

Oct 19 |08:10

The Crown of Embers is everything I wanted in more as the second book in The Girl of Fire and Thorns sequel. Now…only a year left till the final book! Agh!!

Book Review: The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

GoodReads | Amazon | Author Website

Title & Author: The Crown of Embers (Girl of Fire and Thorns) by Rae Carson

Genre: YA Fantasy – Epic

Release Date: September 18, 2012

Series: #2 in Girl of Fire and Thorns series

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

How I Got the Book: Bought

Description:

“In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.

Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone’s power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy.”

Elisa’s Back and She’s Better Than Ever

It’s a dangerous thing to call books perfect, but as far as sequels go, The Crown of Embers hit the mark. First of all, it doesn’t even come off as a sequel.

There’s references to The Girl of Fire and Thorns, but not as much as I expected. Carson keeps it very “present” – which means that Elisa is in as much trouble as ever.

She’s taken the reigns over her former husband’s kingdom and prepares to rule. The only problem is, the Inviernes, a people with dark magic, are trying to take down her kingdom. Oh and someone tries to kill Elisa. And, also she realizes she has to marry for political gain.

Yeah…not TOO much going on for the new queen.

Like I said, Carson manages to make The Crown of Embers feel like a first book. There’s new characters again and new cross-country adventures, yet she builds on tough situations and struggles that Elisa and her people were facing before. I don’t know how Carson does it, but I’m so glad she did!

Religion – Making it Work in YA Fiction

One of the other wonders that Carson delivers in The Crown of Embers is religion. Elisa’s godstone – the powerful sign she is chosen to bring about God’s will that is located in her belly button. Through this connection, Elisa can pray and feel God’s presence and will and feel if she’s in danger.

Although it doesn’t really come off this way, The Crown of Embers is very spiritual. Elisa often prays and reads the holy scriptures. She trusts and takes leaps of faith based on what she feels God is telling her.

This type of faith portrayed in this type of way is not only a rarity in young adult fiction, but in young adult fantasy. I have to be honest – I really loved it! I have a strong personal faith and I thought this aspect of the book was so refreshing and new to see.

I also don’t think that if you’re not spiritual or religious that this element of the book would get in the way of the overall awesomeness of it. Elisa’s religion always plays a part in the movement and progression of the story and isn’t function-less in the slightest.

OVERALL:

I won’t be shy about it – I LOVED this book. Carson develops such interesting characters with so many wonderfully real flaws and strengths. I cannot wait for the final book in this series, The Bitter Kingdom. I have zero doubts Carson will deliver once again. The Crown of Embers has absolutely made it on my Best Books of 2012 list.

Book Review: Hidden by Sophie Jordan

Sep 30 |09:27

The Firelight series finally ends with Hidden. I had some mixed emotions along the way, which didn’t end with the series finale.

Book Review: Hidden by Sophie Jordan

GoodReads | Amazon | Author Website

Title & Author: Hidden by Sophie Jordan

Genre: YA Fantasy – Dragons

Release Date: September 11, 2012

Series: Final book in the Firelight series

Publisher: HarperTeen

How I Got the Book: Bought

Description:

“Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the “prince” of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian’s sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory.

The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there’s no guarantee they’ll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning….”

Firelight Conclusion

The last book in a series must be a very tricky thing to write. I mean, how do you find a way to end a story that you’ve been working on for years?

Despite Hidden having a few issues, it was nice to see a firm close to the story of Jacinda, Tamra, Will and Cassian. And bravo to Jordan – she established which team (Team Will or Cassian) Jacinda was on very early on in the book. Thank you!

The novel begins right exactly where Vanish left off. Jacinda is about to go into the Ekros compound to rescue Cassian’s sister Miriam, who got captured by the draki-hunting crazies.

Hidden had a lot of action-packed moments. Jacinda and the gang are constantly on the run and facing new and more challenging issues like betrayal and heart break at every turn.

Final Thoughts on Hidden

Although Hidden nicely wraps up two books’ worth of craziness and tension, Hidden ultimately fell flat for me. I kept waiting for a wow moment to take my breath away like with Firelight and Vanish, and it never happened.

I think one of the biggest issues was Jacinda and her decision-making skills. She went back and forth and back and forth so many times about what she was going to do after she rescues Miriam. It was not an interesting element to the story, and it took away from the overall excitement of escaping from the ekros and all their other adventures.

Also, without giving too much away, Jacinda and her friends never catch a break from all the action. It’s literally never-ending throughout the entire novel. Some of it seems to be used to divert the reader from other missing plot elements (like a lack of romantic tension now that Jacinda has made her choice). Some of the action didn’t seem to have a purpose.

And although I do think that Jordan picked interesting ways to end the book – at the draki village and with Jacinda and her two men – some of it seemed pretty sudden. It would have been nice to see that progress over time and watch it subtly play out.

OVERALL

I was disappointed with Hidden. I was happy to finally find out who Jacinda chose and to see what became of her and her rebellious self, but to a lot was lacking. For those of you who are anxious to read this final Firelight novel, I hope you enjoy Hidden more than I did.

Posts Tagged ‘YA’

YA Book Review: Pivot Point by Kasie West