ARC Book Review: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Title: The Darkest Minds
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: Dec 18, 2012
Rating: 5/5 (Quite possibly the #1 pick for 2012)

Cover Impressions: Very nice cover.  Dark colors that portray the overall mood of the book and eye-catching imagery.  Can't wait to see how this theme continues through the rest of the series (Dear God, please let this be the first in a series). 

The Gist: When children begin to die from a mysterious disease, it is discovered the those survivors are left with dangerous and frightening powers.  A new special forces is quickly formed and the children are rounded up for "rehabilitation".  At the age of 10, Ruby enters Thurmond and witnesses unspeakable horrors.  When she escapes at the age of 16, the is quick to realize that it is not just the camps that had been the setting of these atrocities, but that the entire country had transformed into a dark and dangerous place. 

Review: I can see already that this is going to be one of those reviews where I simply cannot do justice to the fabulosity of this book.  Just a few chapters in, I found myself exclaiming "holy crap this is good!" and that didn't cease until the last page was turned.  I am beyond excited for the upcoming release date and cannot wait to get a copy for my classroom.  The Darkest Minds transcends issues of gender and genre preferences in the same way that The Hunger Games did.  It is exciting, fast-paced and full of genuine emotion. 

The world of this novel is horrible, but all too possible.  Terrifying parallels can be drawn between the rehabilitation centers and concentration camps during WWII.  It seems that danger lurks around every turn and almost no one can be trusted.  The world building is intense and details are slowly unraveled as we move forward in the plot. 

The characters are wonderfully well written and developed so that the reader comes to love them, but also recognizes that they are flawed in a very realistic way.  Their relationships are so genuine and the romantic angle is weaved into the plot so that it supports the action, rather than stealing center stage.  The villains (about whom I cannot give many details without spoiling the storyline) are equally well written and aided the plot in becoming one of the more exciting and horrifying ones that I have read this year.  

I do not even know what else I can say.  I am still reeling from the ending and wishing I was able to spend more time with these characters.  Books like The Darkest Minds, are the reason I continue to love YA and why I get excited about bringing titles like these to the attention of my students.  Alexandra Bracken, the YA world awaits news of the next release with baited breath - please hurry!

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 15 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Gunplay, Knifeplay, Mind Control, Concentration Camps, Execution, Possible Rape
Inappropriate Language: Asshole, Shit, Piss, Bullshit, Fucking, Bastard
Substance Use/Abuse: None

ARC Book Review: Beta by Rachel Cohn

Title: Beta
Author: Rachel Cohn
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: Oct 16, 2012
Rating: 2/5

Cover Impressions: The color covers are pretty but it feels like someone went a little overboard in photoshop.  The tattoo and violet eyes would have been much more impressive if they had been part of the original photo shoot rather than being added later.  I do like the stark, unfeeling expression on the model's face.

The Gist: Elysia is a Teen Beta Clone.  Her entire purpose is to please the family that has bought her - by whatever means necessary.  Living in the island paradise of Demesne, life is idyllic and easy.  But, as Elysia starts to learn about the underbelly of the island, secrets begin to unravel and she learns that the life of a clone may be more complicated than she ever imagined.

Review: Beta had a great premise: a world where clones are created to serve the elite, where slavery is allowed because the clones do not have a soul.  Against this backdrop, we meet Elysia, one of the first Teen Betas - an experimental type of clone that has not been fully tested.  Entering the world at 16, Elysia becomes the companion for a group of teens and is allowed a glimpse at the secrets underlying this tropical paradise.  The first few chapters showed a great deal of promise, however things went downhill from there. 

I could not develop any feelings for the character of Elysia.  I could understand the flat affect at the beginning of the book as a result of her being newly "born", however, I was looking for growth over the course of the novel and I didn't get it.  I felt no connection with her, or her predicament.  I also found that Elysia made a rather large leap from complete compliance to utter anger and violence with little indication that this was coming. 

The relationship factor in this book was maddening.  We have a case of insta-love, followed by a completely one-sided infatuation that bordered on being completely pathetic.  In an attempt to make her paramour feel something, Elysia encourages sexual exploration and drug use.  To me, it felt very much like a "if I just do this, then he will love me" situation and that made me sick to my stomach.  That being said, once the first love interest is out of the picture, Elysia very easily accepts a new man, proving that she clearly does not have feelings for anybody - despite her arguments to the contrary.  This weird love triangle at the end felt like it had been tacked on simply to garner interest in reading the sequel. 

The first few chapters were rife with infodumping, but, beyond that, there was some action and time to learn about an interesting world.  However, once Elysia finds her love interest the plot grinds to a virtual stand-still.  I can barely even remember what happened during these chapters other than playing a weird video game, doing drugs and eating.  Despite the politically charged atmosphere and Rogue Clone issues bubbling beneath the surface, we are forced to endure trips to the beach and endless talk about swimming (I get it Elysia - you like the water, now MOVE ON!).
I was very disturbed by the unnecessary drugs, nudity, sex and rape in this novel.  It seemed like every few pages featured a mention of 'Raxia or of someone getting near naked for no reason.  Even if I loved this novel, there is NO WAY I could recommend it for my students. 

I will not be sticking around for the sequel to Beta. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: Kissing, Nudity, Sexual Experimentation
Violence: Rape, Murder
Inappropriate Language: Slut, Whore, Bitch
Substance Use/Abuse:Use of imaginary drug, 'Raxia
Other Issues: Cutting, Slavery

Book Review: As Dead As It Gets by Katie Alender

      Title: As Dead As It Gets
Author: Katie Alender
Publisher: Hyperion
Release Date: May 15, 2012
Rating: 5/5

Cover Impressions: So much cover love.  Even before reading the book I was a big fan of the creep factor behind each of the Bad Girls Don't Die covers.  After reading, I am happy to note that every detail included in this cover, from the dress to the flowers, is reflective of the story.  The color scheme features the prettiest lavender and makes me want to blow it up and frame it.

The Gist: Alexis and ghosts go way back.  She has successfully thwarted both a possessed doll and a demon seeking poise, perfection and death.  These encounters have left her with the ability to see ghosts through the lens of a camera and stripped her of her best friend, her boyfriend and now the one thing that was keeping her sane; her photography.

Review: I have been waiting for this finale for a very long time.  I had high hopes of growth for Alexis and some truly scary moments for myself. I was not disappointed on either point.

The fact that Alexis only sees ghosts (other than Lydia) in pictures and on film is a really neat twist. Especially being faced with them in magazines and textbooks. It makes me think about how often we look at photographs and video in our everyday lives. For Alexis, this twist seems to take away the one constant in her life – her photography. At this point, she has lost Megan, Carter and now her one refuge. It makes for a bleak start to the novel but I think Alexis needed to be broken down and stripped of her safety blankets so that she could grow into a better person.  

This plot twist also creates some truly terrifying moments.  Imagine shooting pictures in the dark that show a gruesome specter standing right in front of you, but not being able to actually see the creature with your own eyes.  It adds an extra element of terror to the novel's ghostly encounters.  This time around, the ghosts are incredibly intense and terrifically terrifying.  This is not one to read while home alone.  Or perhaps it is the perfect book for that.

Alexis continues to struggle with her character flaws but growth is on the horizon, I promise!  I know some readers are annoyed by characters who take too long to start behaving in a manner that we see fitting, but I believe Alender has portrayed an accurate representation of the effort and emotion that goes into seeing one's flaws and attempting to fix them.  That said, I was very happy when Alexis finally begins to trust other people and, eventually, herself.  And then there is Lydia.  Despite her trying to kill all the member of the Sunshine club in From Bad to Cursed, I always liked Lydia.  I was very happy to see her return and even more happy to see her role advance from background lurker to strong supporting character.  Lydia has a way with snarky remarks and reminds me that even the prickliest of teenagers can be hiding a real strength of character beneath.

Katie Alender manages to create a plot with an exciting blend of low build and high action.  Chilling moments are interspersed with emotional breakdowns and relationship building.  The intricacies of the story are slowly revealed and begin to knit together to create an ending that incredibly satisfying for those of us who have read and loved this series and these characters (even Alexis).  I am sad to see it end, but happy that it did so on a high note.  I cannot wait to see will flow from Mrs. Alender's pen next. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 13 and up
Gender: Female, though not strictly.
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Death by falling, Attempted murder/suicide
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Abuse: Some underage drinking

Notable Quotables: 

“A cute accountant, piped up the voice in the back of my head.  Shut up, voice.”

“After school one Monday, I decided I deserved a break.  A little fun in my life, for once.  So I set aside the whole afternoon to organize the kitchen junk drawer.”

Book Review: From Bad to Cursed by Katie Alender

Title: From Bad to Cursed
Author: Katie Alender
Publisher: Hyperion
Release Date: June 14, 2011
Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions: This cover fits really well with the first in the series.  The girl has a seriously intense and chilling stare and begs the reader to ask whether she is emerging from the door or protecting what is within.  While her expression is dark and menacing, her outfit is sweet and child-like, presenting a wonderful contrast.  The scroll work on these covers always adds a delicate detail that adds interest. 

The Gist: Alexis has spent the last few months in blissful normality.  That is, until her sister Kasey is released from the mental hospital and promptly finds a group of friends who are a little too perfect.  Worried that Kasey may be in over her head again, Alexis and her friend, Megan, join the Sunshine Club in order to protect her.  The girls quickly learn that you never get beauty, poise and a launch up the social ladder without sacrifice.

Review: Alender really knows how to write her ghosts.  First the evil doll-obsessed little girl and now a spirit that feeds on the teenage obsession to be pretty and popular.  The novel starts off slowly, as each girl takes small steps towards "self-improvement" but features some truly chilling moments once the girls begin to depend on supernatural influences and to forget how they survived without them (the scene with Emily in the bathroom - HOOO BOY, that freaked me out a little).

Alexis is still a fairly unlikeable character.  She mistrusts her friends and is reluctant to make any gestures of compassion and friendship towards her sister (she just got out of a mental hospital - invite her to some parties and don't make her eat lunch by herself - it is not that hard!).  At one point she even asks herself when she turned into "The kind of person I claimed to hate" but doesn't appear to change her behavior.  This gets worse as she begins to think and act like a teenage Stepford wife.  Alexis' continued flaws did, however, allow me to see things from Lydia's point of view which may or may not play out in her favor in the final book.

 Though this novel is the middle book in a series, I believe it could stand fairly well on its own.  It does not suffer the same flaws as many middle books - where big secrets are rarely revealed and the plot only serves to prepare for the last novel.  Here we have a real clear ending to one story, and the hint of the beginning of the next which made me want to jump right into As Dead As It Gets.  Which is exactly what I am going to do as soon as the sun goes down!

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 13 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Self harm with curling iron, hand to hand fighting, knifeplay
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Abuse:  None

Notable Quotables:

“Rule one: Don’t be friends with ghosts.” 

“I felt the oddest combination of emotions – happiness and apprehension at the same time.  Like my heart inflated and then ran away and hid under the bed.”

“Look on the bright side, I told myself.  It might not be ghosts.  Maybe it was just drugs.  Or blackmail.”

Book Review: Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

Title: Bad Girl's Don't Die
Author: Katie Alender
Publisher: Hyperion
Release Date: April 21, 2009
Rating: 5/5

Cover Impressions: The colors here are beautifully muted and soft.  The scrollwork adds a delicate detail and reflects the lace curtain.  The image of the little girl hiding in lace is just creepy enough to set the tone, without over-doing the "freak out" factor. 

The Gist: Alexis lives in the quintessential Halloween Haunted House.  She has always liked it, until her sister starts acting strangely.  Suddenly the house appears much more sinister and Alexis must enlist the help of those she least expected in order to save her sister and banish the evil that surrounds her.

Review: This is my second time reading Bad Girls Don't Die.  Even so, I could only read it in bed if my husband was there.  Katie Alender does an excellent job of creating that delicious sense of suspense that only truly great scary stories can achieve.  She is also incredibly skilled at writing scenes that begin with the easily explained and end with the truly terrifying.

The story falls on the shoulders of Alexis who is, at best, a deeply flawed character.  She is usually callous and sometimes mean.  She often goes out of her way to spread rumors about those who have hurt her in the past.  This is not the character you root for from the beginning.  This is the character that you realize has a lot of growing up to do and hope that she does.  I have encountered these types of character before, but I am very pleased that in Alexis' case, all of her growing up does not occur within the first book.  She continues this development and I hope by the third book in the series will have become a character I can be proud of.

Alender also does quite a good job of painting realistic relationships, between Alexis and her "arch enemy", her crush and her sister.  The cheerleader is not all villain, there is no insta-love and the sisters do not bond over boys and shopping.  Instead, we see these relationships grow and develop (albeit under extreme circumstances) and Alexis begins to see the value in each, especially the love for her family.

There are far too few truly creepy YA books out there.  We tend to gorge ourselves on this genre in younger years, with Goosebumps and Scary Stories to Tell In The Dark, but we seem to lose it as we get older.  Thank you Katie Alender for bringing me back to those childhood moments of sneaking a flashlight into my room and reading beneath the covers. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 13 and up
Gender: Both, though leaning a little more toward the females
Sex: A kiss
Violence: Attempted poisoning, death by gas, fire
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Abuse: None

Noteable Quotables:

"Preps are like cheerleaders, only with less jumping"

"A Kasey-size shadow as way back in the darkest corner of the room, near the long-abandoned tool bench, making clanking noises as it dug through piles of discarded junk.  Werewolf, my brain said.  Zombie!"