Book Review: Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

Title: Girl of Nightmares
Author: Kendare Blake
Publisher: Tor
Release Date: August 7, 2012
Rating:  4/5

Cover Impressions: So pretty and creepy and oh so enticing.  This cover fits very well with the previous Anna book and they both look lovely on my shelf - I just keep staring at them.

The Gist: Cas can't say goodbye to the girl who sacrificed her soul to save the lives of him and his friends.  When images of Anna start invading his life like waking nightmares, he realized that he will do anything to get her back - even walking into the depths of Hell.

Review:

Girl of Nightmares is one of those books that, no matter how busy my life was, I couldn't bare to put it down.  I loved Anna Dressed in Blood and was really looking forward to jumping back into this world.

I was little disappointed with the amount of time that was dedicated to Anna.  I understand that we had to be introduced to a new character (will she get her own spin off?), but I wasn't particularly fond of Jestine and I missed my Anna!  Cas was his old sarcastic self, but a little more angsty as he tries to figure out his feelings for Anna and whines a little more about how no one will give him any information.  Thomas and Carmel continue to be great characters, though they don't get a lot of action in this book.

In comparison with Anna Dressed in Blood, this installment is much more of an adventure or mystery than a horror story.  There are horrific elements right from the beginning, but no real action or re-action to them until about halfway through.  That being said, the inclusion of The Suicide Forest (which I can only assume was based on the forest in Japan) was fantastically done and super creepy.  Once Cas managed to make his way into Hell (if that is what it was), things fell off for me.  I felt like things happened a little too quickly and I was unable to stop and take a breath.  I really wanted a minute or two to spend with Anna and for her and Cas to re-connect, but everything was a bit too fast-paced for that to happen.  

As a teacher, I have a bit of an issue with the amount of swearing that Cas does.  I understand that it is unrealistic to expect teenagers not to utter that famed four letter word, but Cas' swearing is a little too frequent and a little too varied.  Because I am constantly worried about the reaction of parents to the books that I provide for my students, this alone is enough to stop me from keeping the Anna books on my shelves - and that disappoints me, because I have students that I think would really love them. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Gender:  Both
Sex:  Kissing
Violence:  Blood-letting, Torture, Knifeplay, Battle with Supernatural Entities
Inappropriate Language: Shit, Ass, Piss, Fuck, Dick, Jesus, Bastard
Substance Use/Abuse: Smoking

Notable Quotables:
"It's the Monday of the last week of the year and if I have to sign one more yearbook I'm going to sign it in the owner's blood."

ARC Book Review: Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kirsten Cronn-Mills

Title: Beautiful Music for Ugly Children
Author:  Kirsten Cronn-Mills
Publisher: Flux
Release Date: Oct 8, 2012
Rating: 3/5

Cover Impressions: The cover grabbed me enough to make me take a look at the synopsis, so that is something.  I like the graffiti feel of it, but would prefer for it to be a little more gritty, like an image taken from an overpass - raw and real.

The Gist: Beautiful Music for Ugly Children chronicles a few, particularly eventful months in the life of Gabe, a teenaged transexual boy.  Gabe was born Elizabeth and has recently "come out" to his parents about his true sexuality and his decision to stop hiding.  He has also begun working on a late night radio show which forces him into the spotlight and endangers himself, his friends and his family when some people decide that Gabe would be better off staying hidden.

Review: I chose to request this galley because I have read so little YA fiction that features trans characters.  As a teacher, I am always trying to find ways to better understand the struggles that my students might be going through and I hoped Beautiful Music for Ugly Children might provide some insight.  This was one of the books high points.  It was interesting and sometimes moving to watch the characters as they struggled with Liz's decision to start living as Gabe.  There was some conflict between he and his best friend as she tried to decide what their new relationship would look like and where the boundary lines lay.  There was also a struggle in his parents that I, as a mom, could understand.  Having raised Elizabeth from a little girl, her parents displayed feelings of anger, disbelief and guilt as they struggled to accept her as Gabe and to change the way that their family interacted.  It is easy for books like this to try to do too much and to make a complete 180 from emotional wreak to warm, loving family, but I feel like Beautiful Music for Ugly Children didn't make this leap and that it showed, instead, a believable level of growth on the part of the parents.

This novel had some great potential and it touched on some very important themes.  However, I feel that it could have done more.  There was the underlying threat of violence but this never felt entirely real.  If the author had chosen to start off small and build toward the ultimate showdown, I think it would have felt more realistic.  There was also the tendency for things to be a little too easy.  There just happens to be an automatic audience to a brand new radio show that is so enthralled by the DJ's music choices that they take on tasks to please him?  There just happens to be a radio contest looking for a young, fresh DJ to launch their career?  The transgendered kid comes out and is immediately embraced by his (hot) best friend and pursued by his (also hot) classmate?  Opportunities seemed to fall in Gabe's lap and things were a little too convienent for my taste.

I also had a little trouble connecting with the character of Gabe.  I liked him, sure.  But I didn't really CARE about him.  There was something I couldn't put my finger on stopped me from emphasizing with him.  Perhaps it was the length.  This is a short novel, and there was A LOT crammed into those pages.  That didn't leave a lot of room for character development or back-story.  I really would have preferred if the novel started with Liz, a closeted transgendered kid, and then chronicled her transition to Gabe and coming out to her family and friends, rather than to have started after all that occurred.

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children fell short of my expectations, but was still a good read that provided some insight into the feelings of a teen in transition. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Gender: Either
Sex: Kissing, Talk of Erections, Allusions to Sex
Violence: Threats, Sexual Violence, Attack with a Baseball Bat
Inappropriate Language: LOTS! Bitch, Ass, Dick, Shit, Carpet Muncher, Goddamn, Jesus, Pussy
Substance Use/Abuse: Smoking, Underage Drinking

Book Review: The Ghost of Graylock by Dan Poblocki

Title: The Ghost of Graylock
Author: Dan Poblocki
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: August 1, 2012
Rating: 3/5

Cover Impressions: This cover is super-creepy  I love the image of the girl and the fact that her face is almost completely covered in shadow.  The colors are reminiscent of the lake that plays such a large part in the story. 

The Gist: Neil and his sister, Bree have been sent to spend some time with their aunts while their father chases his dreams and their mother gets treatment for depression.  Attempting to escape the pain of his family life, Neil emerses himself in the tale of Graylock Hall, a local asylum where three patients drowned and a nurse was blamed for their murder.  When the kids and their new-found friends visit the abandoned building, they encounter a fearsome entity and vow never to return.  That is, until they discover that whatever they found, refused to be confined by the walls of Graylock and followed them home.

Review:

The Ghost of Graylock is an engrossing, fast-paced read that is perfect for October.  I didn't quite make a connection with the characters, and there really isn't much in the way of their development, but I did enjoy the plot.  I actually found myself putting the book down at one point because I was at home alone and was getting creeped out.  Poblocki manages to create an air of mystery and suspense throughout this entire novel that is punctuated by moments of horror that keep the reader jumping.

While the plot was not dead-on predictable, there were some moments where I really couldn't believe that the kids hadn't figured this out yet.  For example, even upon seeing the ghostly figure and being able to describe her dress, it took them an incredibly long time to realize that there were not looking at the adult nurse in crisp, white uniform but instead at a teenage girl in a floaty, white dress.  It was also a little unbelievable that the aunts were not more concerned with the whereabouts and activities of their niece and nephew.

As I mentioned, the characters are fairly typical teens, but I feel an opportunity was missed for character development.  Neil is struggling with his fears about his own capacity for mental illness but this issue seems to be largely ignored as we reach the end of the book.  Bree seems inconsistent in her attitude towards the ghost hunt (at one point I thought this was hinting toward a possession - I wish that had been the case) and I started to get annoyed with her.  For their part, Wesley and Eric seem to serve only as local informants or transportation and they do not add anything to the story.

Barring its faults, The Ghost of Graylock is a fun, quick and spooky read that is perfect for Halloween.  It does not feature any issues that make it inappropriate for a middle grade audience and has enough of a plot and creep-factor to draw in kids that are a little older as well.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 12 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: None
Violence: Drowning
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None
Other Issues: Discussion of Mental Illness

ARC Book Review: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Title: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
Author: Rachen Cohn & David Levithan
Publisher: Knopf Books
Release Date: Oct 26, 2012
Rating: 3/5

Cover Impressions: The cover is cute.  I love that it represents New York without relying on the predictable and cliched images that are so often used. 

The Gist: When Dash finds a mysterious red notebook tucked onto a shelf at his favorite used book store, he is faced with a set of dares.  These challenges reveal tidbits about the author, Lilly and encourage Dash to set some dares of his own.  As they pass the notebook back and forth, Dash and Lily learn a little about each other, and a lot about themselves

Review: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares starts off with a really interesting premise: two teens, who have never met, are drawn together through dares and challenges set in a notebook that they pass back and forth.  Having never visited New York (but always longed to go) I loved how the adventure carried the characters through some iconic (and not so iconic) sites in the city.  The fact that it takes place at Christmas, and Lily's love for the season, made me really wish I was reading it during December and I think it would be a great holiday read.

Dash and Lily are both great characters, but in very different ways.  Dash is intense and brooding, with a vocabulary that will give any reader a reason to dig out their dictionary (or download a new app).  His manner of speaking was a little pretentious and stopped me from really rooting for him.  I also think that it would put off some readers, particularly teen boys.  Lily, on the other hand, is sweet and positive.  Her happiness is infectious and really helps set that holiday mood.  I had a lot of fun watching her rebel a little and loved that we saw some growth by the end.

I enjoyed the first half of this book much more than the second half.  The dares and challenges were entertaining and kept me wondering about what the kids would come up with next.  However, once they finally met each other, I lost some interest.  Things became awkward and more unbelievable.  I also got a little annoyed with watching the characters continuously get in their own way and was sort of hoping for a less expected ending.  Despite these issues, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares is a fun, quick read that I think would be a great pick for the holidays.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 15 and up
Gender: More suited for teen girls
Sex: Kissing
Violence: None
Inappropriate Language: Fuck, Shit, Hell, Prick, Douche, Bitch, Whore, Piss
Substance Use/Abuse:  Underage Drinking

Waiting on Wednesday (26)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is: The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa which is due to be released on October 26th.

 Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

Book Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Title: The Perks of Being A Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
Publisher: Recorded Books
Release Date: Feb 1, 1999
Rating:  4/5

Cover Impressions: Meh.  Not a fan.  The color is awful and clashes grossly with the "Recorded Books" bands.  I am not a fan of the all small letter title and author name, nor of the odd picture in the corner.  It all feels a little hipster to me and I'm not sure that I am cool enough for it.

The Gist: Charlie is starting his first year of High School.  Feeling more than a little scared, he begins writing letters to a mysterious reader and chronicles the life of he and his newfound friends.  His letters are filled with astute observations and a frank openness that allows a rare glimpse into the mind of a sensitive, damaged, and troubled young man who is struggling to find himself. 

Review:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower was one of those books that I think I enjoyed more as an audio book than I would have as a physical book.  The narrative is told through the letters that Charlie writes to a mysterious reader.  This format would appear to be rather limiting but it actually works quite well in allowing an in-depth glimpse into the mind of a very intelligent, but damaged young man. 

Charlie does not view the world the way that an average 16 year old would.  He feels things and notices things that others would simply pass by.  He is also maddeningly selfless, to the point where he allows others to hurt him, rather than speak out against their actions.  Below the surface, however, lies a font of anger and the possibility of violence.  Charlie is the type of character that you want to hug.  Entering is world makes me wonder about my own students and what issues they might be dealing with that we can never see. 

The other characters were so fascinating and compelling that I am a little disappointed in never being able to see their side of the story.  I would actually be very happy if Chbosky were to write two companion novels chronicling that one year of high school but from Sam and Patrick's points of view.  The reason I chose to finally read this book, was because of the trailer and the casting of Emma Watson as Sam.  Having finished the book, I can now say that I am very much looking forward to seeing the movie and I hope they do these wonderful characters justice.

I would like to note that this is not a book that I would place in my junior high classroom.  There are many instances of drug use, sex and violence that would make me recommend it for an older audience. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up (AT LEAST!)
Gender:  Both
Sex:  Masturbation, Rape, Molestation, Heterosexual Sex, Homosexual Sex
Violence:  Fighting, Rape, Suicide
Inappropriate Language: Fuck, Queer, Faggot, Pussy
Substance Use/Abuse: Marijuana use, Smoking, Underage Drinking, Use of LSD

Book Review: Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch

Title: Magisterium
Author: Jeff Hirsch
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: October 1, 2012
Rating:  1/5

Cover Impressions: The cover is kind of cool and I like the image of the cloak made up of birds, however, it didn't really entice me.  There is something about the face that doesn't quite match up with the creepy feel that I believe they were going for.

The Gist: The world has undergone a Rift.  One side is safe, the other is a wasteland.  At least that is what everyone is told. 

Review: To be honest.  This book annoyed and angered me.  This usually happens when I can see vast potential that is smothered by poor plot pacing and lack-luster character development.  In Magisterium, we are introduced to Glenn Morgan, who dreams only of leaving this world for a distant planet.  Glenn bored me from the first moment.  She is controlling of her world and her emotions in a way that prevented me from forming any type of connection to her (even pity).  I simply could not understand the choices that she made, from turning her father in to the authorities to blindly stumbling through a world that she knew nothing about (and wanted to know nothing about).  Glenn came across and naive and downright stupid.  Case in point: her father is arrested, her friend is shot and she is on the run from a government that has lied to everyone under its control - and yet, she still wants to return and pretend that nothing every happened.  She is not the least bit compassionate or curious and often made me scream in frustration

Glenn's friend, Kevin, seems nice enough and had the potential to be someone I could root for, however, about halfway through the book he undergoes a mysterious personality change and suddenly he is just as much of a jerk as Glenn is.  The reason? Magic.  The reason is always magic.  Magic that is not expanded upon or explained and is used as a crutch to explain every moment of weird shit.  We are simply supposed to swallow this ready made excuse like a bitter pill and move on.  We are also expected to believe that, despite the lack of barrier or patrols on the border between the Colloquium (hated this word btw) and the supposed wasteland, no one ever goes there?  Seriously? No teenage dares, no conspiracy obsessed nuts, no wandering children ever pass through the apparently thin stretch of forest?  OH wait, we do get to meet one family, but they kill themselves before we get a chance to actually learn anything.

On that note, I must mention the brutality.  But not brutality in order to examine a massive flaw in a government system or with human nature in general, no, this was simply bloodshed for the sake of bloodshed.  I don't like this approach in adult novels and I despise it in YA books.  It seems authors like this seem to forget that this is not HBO and not every death has to be a graphic mess.  

By the time I hit the last 100 pages, I was completely over this book, it's characters and it's world building.  The premise was interesting, it had great potential, but somewhere along the line it got bogged down in weird shit and forgot to tell a story.  I am not sure if this is part of a series, but I will not be sticking around to find out. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Gender:  Both
Sex:  Kissing
Violence:  LOTS: execution, gunplay, knifeplay, suicide
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

Waiting on Wednesday (25)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is: Into the Woods by Kim Harrison which is due to be released on October 12th.

 Fans have fallen for bounty hunter and witch Rachel Morgan. Through banishment and road trips, deadly supernatural duels and lost loves, they have avidly cheered her on, eagerly awaiting the next installment in her adventures. This collection of short works, published together in once volume for the first time, adds a whole new dimension to the Hollows saga, featuring tales involving Rachel and her coterie of friends and enemies. Untitled contains original works, including:

"Million Dollar Baby"-original novella about what happens when elven tycoon Trent Kalamack and Jenks the pixy team up to rescue Trent's daughter;

"Spider Web" and "Grace's Fall"-original novelettes set in brand-new fantasy worlds;

Here, too, are reprinted short stories, including:

"Undead in The Garden of Good and Evil"-an Ivy novella from Dates from Hell

"Dirty Magic"-a Mia the banshee short story from Hotter Than Hell

"The Bridges of Eden Park"-a Kisten/Rachel short from the mass market edition of For a Few Demons More

"Two Ghosts for Sister Rachel"-a Robbie/Rachel/Pierce novella from Holidays from Hell

"The Bespelled"-a Ceri/Al short story from the mass market edition of The Outlaw Demon Wails

"Ley Line Drifter"-a Bis/Jenks novella from Unbound

I don't normally read short stories but I will make an exception for Kim Harrison because I am so enthralled with the world and characters that she has created.

Book Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Raven Boys
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Rating:  4/5 

Cover Impressions: The cover image for The Raven Boys is really stunning.  The beautiful blues, blacks and red work wonderfully with the eggshell background.  Closer inspection of the raven reveals swirling brushstrokes that add depth and texture. 

The Gist: On a cold spring night, Blue stands in an abandoned church yard waiting for the parade of death to begin, not that she has ever seen anything.  Blue is not a psychic, she serves more as a battery, enhancing the powers of those who already display abilities.  But, on this night, everything changes.  The face of a boy emerges from the darkness and gives her one name: Gansey.

A member of the ultra elite Aglionby school, Gansey's balances the demands of his schooling with his passion for ley-lines and the search for a long lost king.  When he crosses paths with Blue he and his friends, Adam, Ronan and Noah, finally start to see magic in the everyday and are sent on an adventure that will test their friendships and their dedication to the search. 

Review: The Raven Boys surprised me.  I was not a fan of Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver series and I entered into this world with a little reluctance.  Things did not start particularly strongly.  I was not instantly enamored of any of the characters and I found the world building a little slow and difficult to follow.  However, once the characters began to interact and made huge leaps in the progress of their search, I was completely drawn in.

As I mentioned, I was not a huge fan of any of the characters.  I found Gansey and Ronan rather difficult to like (both for very different reasons) and, while I liked Adam, I found his "I'm poor but I insist on fighting on my own for everything and not accepting a lick of help from the people who clearly care about me" attitude more annoying than endearing.  I did enjoy Noah - though I would have liked to see him feature more and Blue was cute but I think her quirkiness could have been played up a little more.  These initial impressions, however, may change as the series continues and more of the characterization is revealed.

The true strength in this novel, lies in the world building and the plot advancement that occurs in the second half.  Once the characters truly embarked upon their quest and started to uncover new mysteries I was thrust into the story and entangled with the magic of this new world.  The woods becomes a whole other character, beautiful and enchanting one moment, tricky and fickle the next.  For the first time in quite a long time, I found myself completely surprised by a particular plot twist and from that moment on, I was hooked.

While there is nothing particularly racy about the plot of The Raven Boys, it does involve a smattering of swear words and an abusive situation that would make me recommend it for my older and more mature students.

I will be anxiously awaiting the next installment in this series.  Write fast, please, Mrs. Stiefvater. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: None
Violence:  Fist fighting, Gunplay, Physical Abuse, Murder by blunt forced trauma
Inappropriate Language: Bitch, Fuck, Shit, Bastard, Jesus, Shit
Substance Use/Abuse: Underage Drinking

Book Review: A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff

Title: A Vintage Affair
Author: Isabel Wolff
Publisher: Random House Audio
Release Date: September 7, 2012
Rating:  5/5

Cover Impressions: I really like this cover.  The colors are muted but eye-catching.  You get just enough of a feel for the setting of the book and I LOVE that the cupcake dresses are featured.

The Gist: Phoebe Swift has suffered a terrible loss.  Riddled with guilt and regret, she removes every trace of her old life and sets up Village Vintage, a vintage clothing shop, in the hopes of burying herself so fully in her business that she does not have time to dwell on the past.  In sourcing clothing for her shop, Phoebe encounters Therese Bell, an elderly woman with painful past of her own.  Through the tale of a child's blue coat, both women will come to a new understanding of love, loss and regret.

Review:  In moving to a new school this year, I found myself in the thick of traffic for the first time since I started working.  In an attempt to circumvent the frustration of the bumper to bumper drive, I turned to the audio of A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff.  The narrator, Violet Mathieson, had a wonderful voice couple with a beautiful accent.  She was also quite skilled in creating voices and accents for each of the characters.  A Vintage Affair so enraptured me that I actually looked forward to getting stuck in traffic as it ensured me a few more moments in that world.

The characters themselves are almost all deeply flawed and beautifully broken.  The pain of both Phoebe and Mrs. Bell was palpable, as was the love for their lost friends and their regret at not having made different choices.  Supporting them, was a cast of men and women who all had issues of their own and who evoked in the reader a sense of understanding and sadness.  There are no villains here.

The descriptions in this novel made me long to walk into Village Vintage, to hear the bell tinkle overhead and to trace my hand along some of the beautiful fabrics that were sure to greet me.  If you have not developed a love of vintage clothing already, A Vintage Affair will certainly set you on that path.  I, personally, have fantasies of a deep purple cupcake dress.

While this novel is not exactly fast paced, it doesn't lag either.  The stories unfold themselves in intervals and, more often than not, the readers sneaking suspicions are proved correct.  The true beauty in this novel lies in the underlying humanity behind the characters' actions and the pain and regret that is so relatable by anyone who has suffered a loss. 

I highly recommend a venture into the painful and poignant world that Isabel Wolff has created.

Waiting on Wednesday (24)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is: The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan which is due to be released on October 2nd.

 Annabeth is terrified. Just when she’s about to be reunited with Percy—after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera—it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on the Argo II, she can’t blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon masthead, Leo’s fantastical creation doesn’t appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace.

And that’s only one of her worries. In her pocket Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving demand: Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. Annabeth already feels weighed down by the prophecy that will send seven demigods on a quest to find—and close— the Doors of Death. What more does Athena want from her?

Annabeth’s biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he’s now attached to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows she was born to be a leader, but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brain by her side.

Narrated by four different demigods, The Mark of Athena is an unforgettable journey across land and sea to Rome, where important discoveries, surprising sacrifices, and unspeakable horrors await. Climb aboard the Argo II, if you dare. . . .

In The Son of Neptune, Percy, Hazel, and Frank met in Camp Jupiter, the Roman equivalent of Camp Halfblood, and traveled to the land beyond the gods to complete a dangerous quest. The third book in the Heroes of Olympus series will unite them with Jason, Piper, and Leo. But they number only six--who will complete the Prophecy of Seven?

The Greek and Roman demigods will have to cooperate in order to defeat the giants released by the Earth Mother, Gaea. Then they will have to sail together to the ancient land to find the Doors of Death. What exactly are the Doors of Death? Much of the prophesy remains a mystery. . . . With old friends and new friends joining forces, a marvelous ship, fearsome foes, and an exotic setting, The Mark of Athena promises to be another unforgettable adventure by master storyteller Rick Riordan.

As you can tell by the immensity of the blurb, this book picks up on a lot of storylines in the Camp Half-Blood/Camp Jupiter world.  I really like Riordan's books and I am excited to see which of my students will be picking this one up as well.

First Lines: August/September 2012

The first words you read can often set the tone for the entire story.  I thought it would be fun to keep track of the first lines of the books I read each month and share them with you.  Below are the first lines for all the books I read in August and September.

 Burn for Burn by Jenny Han, Siobhan Vivian

"The morning fog has painted everything white."

 Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

"'My father is a control freak, I hate my stepmother, my brother is dead and my mother has ... well ... issues.'"

  The Dead Girls Detective Agency by Suzy Cox

"POP QUIZ: What would you do if you only had one day left to live?" 

What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

"Addie and I were born into the same body, our souls' ghostly fingers entwined before we gasped our very first breath." 

 Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready

 "My phone glowed bright in the dusk-drenched cemetery."

 A Mutiny in Time by James Dashner

"Dak Smyth sat on his favorite branch of his favorite tree, right next to his favorite friend, Sera Froste." 

 A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff

"Blackheath, 1983 ‘… seven-teen, eight-een, nine-teen … twenty! Com-ing!’ I yell."

 The Encyclopedia of Me by Karen Rivers

"Some kind of lava."

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

"Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she’d been told that she would kill her true love."

Lots of good ones in this edition.  I think my favorites are The Raven Boys and Pushing the Limits.  The first, because it serves to immediately pull the reader into Stiefvater's world and the second because the character's voice is incredibly strong right from that first line.

My least favorite has got to be A Mutiny in Time.  It just didn't grab me like the others did.  

Book Review: The Encyclopedia of Me by Karen Rivers

Title: The Encyclopedia of Me
Author: Karen Rivers
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: September 1, 2012
Rating:  2/5 

Cover Impressions: The cover is cute and would definitely appeal to a teen audience.  The imagery charmingly hints at a kiss and the colors are eye-catching.

The Gist: Tink Aaron-Martin is not your average teenager.  After being grounded (again) she forgoes the moping and whining typical of her age and instead escapes with her laptop up her favorite tree and proceeds to write an encyclopedia of her life. 

Review: This novel has a very unique style.  The narrative is woven throughout encyclopedia entries like: MegaMall, Haywire and Virgorama.  Some of the entries serve only as amusing interludes while others move the plot forward.  This effect took a little getting used to, and I must admit that as the novel went on, I found the frequent footnotes less endearing and more distracting.

The story itself has some fantastic bones.  Tink is a special young girl with a not so nice best friend, two brothers, one who is autistic and one who is just annoying and parents who seem to forget that she exists.  However, by the end of the story there isn't a great deal of progression.  We see some growth in the family, and Tink *sort of* lets go of her friendship with Freddie Blue but I don't really feel that Tink changed as a person or that she accomplished anything other than winning "The Boyfriend Race".

Though I had some problems with the narrative, I do feel that this novel would appeal to a middle grade audience.  I can see a number of my students enjoying the alternative writing style and sharing Tink's quirky sense of humor.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 9-12
Gender:  Female
Sex:  Kissing
Violence:  Accident involving a car
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse:  None