Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace

Title: Shallow Graves
Author: Kali Wallace
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Release Date: January 26, 2016
Rating: 3/5

The Gist: When seventeen-year-old Breezy Lin wakes up in a shallow grave one year after her death, she doesn’t remember who killed her or why. All she knows is that she’s somehow conscious—and not only that, she’s able to sense who around her is hiding a murderous past. In life, Breezy was always drawn to the elegance of the universe and the mystery of the stars. Now she must set out to find answers and discover what is to become of her in the gritty, dangerous world to which she now belongs—where killers hide in plain sight and a sinister cult is hunting for strange creatures like her. What she finds is at once empowering, redemptive, and dangerous.

Review:

Shallow Graves features a new and interesting concept of the dead.  Breezy is dead, or undead, but not in the 'must have braiiiiiiiiiiins' fashion that has become so popular in fiction today.  She seems just like a regular girl, she just can't die.  And believe me, she has tried.  One of my favorite parts of this book featured Breezy's lists, one of which was her list of ways in which she has tried to die including drowning, shooting and crashing head-long into a tree.  The writing style worked well and Breezy is a great new voice.

I love seeing diversity in main characters and Breezy ticks a lot of boxes; she is a Chinese, bisexual teenage girl who loves Science and was obsessed with being an astronaut.  I really felt her pain as she lamented the fact that her one ambition in life was now off limits despite the fact that she was now perfect for the job - no need to eat or breathe and apparently indestructible.  It was also really interesting to read as she tried to apply her analytical mind to the new task at hand - namely figuring out this new world and finding out why she isn't dead.

Shallow Graves does not follow down the traditional path of distracting from the plot with an ill-fitting love interest.  There is a boy, there is potential with the boy, but neither of them seems interested in pursuing that at the moment.  There is also an underlying thread that makes social commentary on the issues of slut shaming and victim blaming.  I loved that Breezy was self and socially aware enough to recognize how differently her life (and death) would have been if she had been a teen boy murdered rather than a girl and these sections come off as thought-provoking, rather than preachy.

Unfortunately, not everything in this story worked quite as well as it could have.  The author chose a non-linear manner of storytelling which worked in parts, but other times was strange and confusing.  There are two main mysteries and neither of them ends particularly strongly.  I was particularly disappointed in the reveal of who killed Breezy.  I was hoping for one of those 'oh my god, no way?!' moments, but it just fell a little flat and felt frustrating.  The other storyline featured a big baddie who, rather than being defeated, was merely contained.  This made the book feel like the first in a series, though that doesn't appear to be the case, and I didn't like that ambiguousness. 

Bottom Line: A fun book with an interesting new character.  Wish it was a series though....

A Curious Tale of the In-Between by Lauren DeStefano

Title: A Curious Tale of the In-Between
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: September 1, 2015
Rating: 4/5

The Gist: Pram Bellamy is special—she can talk to ghosts. She doesn’t have too many friends amongst the living, but that’s all right. She has her books, she has her aunts, and she has her best friend, the ghostly Felix.

Then Pram meets Clarence, a boy from school who has also lost a parent and is looking for answers. Together they arrive at the door of the mysterious Lady Savant, who promises to help. But this spiritualist knows the true nature of Pram’s power, and what she has planned is more terrifying than any ghost.
Review: 

I love a good first line and A Curious Tale of the In-Between certainly has it.

"Pram died just before she was born"

Is that not a great line to open a new series about a young girl who sees ghosts?  I haven't really loved anything of DeStefano's I have read up until this point but that first line pulled me right into this story.  The writing style continues in this fashion.  It is delightfully whimsical and perfect for a middle grade novel.

Pram is a wonderful new character.  She is curious and sweet but very cautious and will definitely appeal to young readers, especially those who might prefer the company of books to people (as I did as a child).  As an orphaned child raised by her spinster aunts, she questions her place in the world and begins searching for a trace of the father she never knew.  Pram is joined by Felix, the ghost boy who lives outside her home and has watched her grow up and Clarence, her first real, living friend.  Clarence is still reeling from the death of his mother.  He and Pram set out to find her ghost and, along the way, encounter Lady Savant, a medium who takes an unhealthy interest in Pram.  When she lures Pram away with promises of messages from her long dead mother and information on the father she has never known, the story takes a dark turn and Pram must push her powers to lengths she never dreamed of, or give them up forever. 

The first half of this novel is extremely charming, introducing us to Pram and her world.  I loved that she sees the ghosts not only of people but also animals and insects.  This small detail added a whimsical new layer to an old theme.  We are also treated to a sweet, age appropriate romance.  The second half of the novel is exciting and a little bit scary.  There are points where I really feared for Pram's well-being and a few surprises that I didn't see coming.  Lest you think this is just another straight-forward, middle grade novel, there is also a great deal of introspection as Pram sees exactly what motivated Lady Savant and proposes that even the villain of the story has more to her story.     

Bottom Line: A Curious Tale of the In-Between is a promising start to this new series.  I can't wait to read more about the little girl who talks to the dead. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 10 and up
Sex: None
Violence: Murder by drowning, kidnapping
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

Sisters of Blood and Spirit by Kady Cross

Title: Sisters of Blood and Spirit
Author: Kady Cross
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: March 31st
Rating: 4/5

 
Cover Impressions: I really like the idea behind this cover but the photoshop isn't quite up to snuff and I can't concentrate too long on the hairline without grimacing. 

The Gist: Wren Noble is dead—she was born that way. Vibrant, unlike other dead things, she craves those rare moments when her twin sister allows her to step inside her body and experience the world of the living.

Lark Noble is alive but often feels she belongs in the muted Shadow Lands—the realm of the dead. Known as the crazy girl who talks to her dead sister, she doesn't exactly fit in with the living, though a recent suicide attempt and time in a psych ward have proved to her she's not ready to join her sister in the afterlife.

Now the guy who saved Lark's life needs her to repay the favor. He and his friends have been marked for death by the malevolent spirit of a vicious and long-dead serial killer, and the twins—who should know better than to mess with the dead—may be their only hope of staying alive.

Review:
Sisters of Blood and Spirit has a really interesting premise.  Twin sisters, one girl and one ghost - both more powerful than they know.  When they encounter a group of teens who have been marked by a frightening spirit, they agree to try and save them, even if that means venturing into the ruins of a mental institution that is filled with ghosts who would love to get their hands on the sisters.

The plot is very suspenseful and has some great, scary elements.  I actually avoided reading it right before bed.  There are some terrifying ghosts and, despite a few slow downs as we get introduced to the world building of this new series, the plot moves along pretty well.

I did feel a little lost in that so much seemed to have happened to the group prior to the start of this novel.  The girls grew up along side one another, but with Wren being considered the invisible friend.  Lark attempted suicide, was saved by a neighbor boy, institutionalized (where she had some harrowing experiences), abandoned by her parents and moved in with her grandmother.  I actually went to check if I was mistaken and there was a book (or novella) prior to this in the series, but there isn't.  Maybe Cross will be publishing a prequel at some point - either way, the time I spent trying to piece together the events of the past took away from my enjoyment of the plot of this novel.
 
The characters were fun.  Lark is the snarky, defenses up against the world, sister while Wren is kind and just wants to be accepted.  There was clearly some effort to distinguish between the narration style of the sisters, but it didn't always work and there were times where I forgot which POV I was currently reading. The sisters were also incredibly forgiving of each other.  They never seemed to get mad at each other, no matter what the offense.  The side characters each had some spark of personality, which is often difficult for large groups.  They seem to have potential for fleshing out as the series continues.  I was thankful that the love interest didn't quite turn out as expected (please Kady, no love triangle in future books...)

Bottom Line: Sisters of Blood and Spirit is a fun read with an interesting premise and some super spooky ghosts.  I will definitely be checking in with the next book in this series.   

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age:15 and up
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Attempted suicide, Violence by supernatural means, 
Inappropriate Language: Shit, Dyke, Retard, Bitch, Fuck, Bastard, Cock
Substance Use/Abuse: None

Great For Readers Who Loved:

ARC Book Review: Sleep No More by Aprilynne Pike

Title: Sleep No More
Author: Aprilynne Pike
Publisher: HarperTeen (Harper Collins)
Release Date: April 29th, 2014
Rating: 3/5

Cover Impressions: Love the color, but I feel like the cover model must be choking on her own hair.  The tagline is decent and the fonts work fairly well.  There isn't much else to say as there isn't much more to it.

Review:
Charlotte learned the hard way not to interfere with the future.  As an oracle, she has always seen glimpses of what is to come - usually boring and insignificant events but occasionally a terrifying vision will break through.  As a child, Charlotte saw the death of her aunt, Sierra and, in trying to prevent it, brought about the events leading to her father's death and the crippling of her mother.  Now, Charlotte listens to Sierra's teachings and blocks every vision that she can.  On the day she finally fails, she sees the murder of a classmate and, when the body is found, she is wracked with guilt about not having prevented it.  As more visions come, she is approached by a stranger claiming that he can help her take control of her visions and catch the murderer, but it means betraying everything that Oracles believe in and putting herself in the crosshairs of a killer. 

Sleep No More was an enjoyable, exciting novel but I felt it suffered slightly from a lack of substance.  The plot was fast paced and suspenseful.  I even found myself skimming some of the dialogue because I was genuinely excited by the action in the story.  My most constant reading time is just before bed and I found, in reading this one, that it was actually hard to get to sleep.  This pace continued until about 3/4th of the way in, when things got a little strange.  At this point, the action of the plot mostly occurred on Charlotte's "Supernatural Plane".  The rules in this realm were difficult to understand and, just when I thought I had a handle on them, they would change.  I found this slowed down the plot a little and, in order to move forward, I had to just let go of trying to understand how that world worked and just go with it. 

I think this novel could have benefited from some more interesting and compelling characters.  Charlotte was boring, but seemed intelligent enough.  I was surprised at how easily she allowed herself to be manipulated and how little she did to inform herself of how her power worked.  To be fair, a large part of this came from the choice by the author to have Sierra act as a complete stonewall.  She refuses to give Charlotte any information about her gift (or curse) and even goes so far as to deny her access to any books - locking them in her room whenever she leaves the house.  I really despised this aspect to her character as she left Charlotte with no resources and without the sense of trust that would have sent her to ask Sierra for help when she was clearly in over her head.  The last character that really needs discussing is Linden.  Naturally, we cannot simply have a YA paranormal mystery, we have got to have a love interest.  I did not feel any sparks or excitement when it came to their romance and it made me feel sorry for Charlotte, having pined away for this boy for years.  The one positive thing I will say about the romance is that it ended very well.  I was happy to see my suspicions confirmed and that we did not go down the typical lovecanovercomeallodds route. 

 The big reveal of the murderer wasn't much of a reveal at all.  It didn't have the impact that I expected it to and was pretty easily predicted.  I think I would have much preferred if he had turned out to be a plain ol', albeit evil, human.  Once the killer was out in the open, the book slowed down considerably for me.  I knew where it would be going, but it seemed to take a very roundabout route to get there.  Before and after the climax, we are told quite a bit of information regarding the murderer's past and motivation that could have been much more effective were we shown it through the plot rather than told after the fact through wind-down dialogue.     

Sleep No More features some particularly brutal murders, including choking, stabbing and even dismemberment.  These scenes might be disturbing for some readers and I had a hard time getting through one or two of them.  

This was my first foray into Aprilynne Pike's work and I am not sure that there was enough that was unique about this book to bring me back to her work in the future.   

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age:15 and up
Sex: Kissing, Light Petting - Non-Graphic
Violence:Violent Murders, Gunplay, Knifeplay, Choking
Inappropriate Language: Bastard, Shit, Bitch
Substance Use/Abuse: Marijuana Use

ARC Book Review: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Dream Thieves
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: September 17, 2013
Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions:  I love love LOVE the artwork for this series and I am so glad that the publishers decided to continue with this color scheme.  The Dream Thieves is not quite as drool-worthy as The Raven Boys but we still have the stunning brushwork that makes me just want to touch it.  I can't wait to see this one all decked out in the finished copy.

The Gist: Adam's sacrifice at the end of The Raven Boys has had further reaching repercussions than any of the boys realized.  Adam is haunted by an inexplicable "otherness", Gansey is struggling to piece together the clues on his quest and Rowan is falling deeper and deeper into the dream world.  Dangerous elements have been awoken and the someone, or something, is hunting in the dark, putting everyone at risk.

Review:
The Dream Thieves is a solid addition to this surprisingly interesting series.  I am the first to admit, I LOATHED Shiver, and I thought after that debacle, I would never pick up another Stiefvater book again.  When Scholastic sent me The Raven Boys for review, I had thought, at the least, I would get a ranty, gif filled review out of it.  But, I am also the first to admit that I was whole-heartedly wrong.  I loved The Raven Boys and thoroughly enjoyed The Dream Thieves.  While TRB started out a little slow and then gained momentum towards the middle of the book, TDT has a much more steady pace.  It is a slow burn in which the story unravels leisurely and we get to see much more of the characters than in the previous novel.  I do wish there was more forward action on the over-all plot.  We see quite a bit of character development and many events are put into place for the action of the third book, but mostly the problems that are solved are new ones, not the lingering questions from The Raven Boys.

One of the strengths in this series lies with the character development.  Each of the boys (and Blue) have their own issues and their own, distinct, voice.  We get to follow inside each character's head for a while, which allows the reader to build deep and meaningful connections.  I do wish that there weren't quite as many peripheral characters as it became difficult to keep track.  We have 4 main characters, then each of their families, then friends and enemies, which adds up to a lot.  There also isn't a whole lot of detail provided to jog your memory.  I, for one, have read a LOT of YA novels in between TRB and this book and find it difficult to recall certain characters or aspects of the storyline.  For example, at one point a chapter opens with Helen operating a helicopter.  There is no preamble describing who Helen is and she has not been mentioned up to this point.  It took me AGES to remember that she was Gansey's sister and my confusion took my attention away from that particular section of the plot.

It is very interesting to read a series in which we knew the ending, from the very beginning.  Blue's vision shows us that Gansey is to die and the prophecy about her first kiss tells us a lot about where their relationship eventually leads.  Nonetheless, I continue to watch, breathlessly, for the plot to get there.  All the while, hoping for a loophole that will lead to a different eventuality.  Either way, I will certainly be hanging in there for the next two books!

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 13 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Knifeplay, Gunplay, Kidnapping
Inappropriate Language: Dick, Fag, Bastard, Fucking, Shit, Jesus Christ,
Substance Use/Abuse: Cocaine use, Underage Drinking
Other Issues: Child abuse

ARC Book Review: Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn

Title: Another Little Piece
Author: Kate Karyus Quinn
Publisher: Harper Teen/Harper Collins
Release Date: June 11, 2013
Rating: 5/5

Cover Impressions:  I like the cover image and the muted shades.  The font is well done and reflected just slightly in the pink of the cover model's tutu skirt.  I do think it reads as fairly contemporary and worry that it may be missing out on the primary audience.  Paranormal fiction readers may simply pass this one by on a shelf and contemporary fiction readers may be disappointed upon discovering that their mystery has taken a very strange turn.

The Gist: Annaliese Rose Gordon has been missing for a year.  When she emerges, she has no memory of her life, her parents or where she has been.  As her memories begin to emerge, they are more gruesome than she ever expected and feature the faces of other missing girls, girls whose blood is on her hands.

Review:
Confession time: I do not read book blurbs.  Well, that's not exactly true, When I discover a book name or cover that piques my interest, I read the blurb in order to confirm or disprove my first impression.  However, there is usually a span of a couple of months in between requesting an ARC for review and actually reading it.  In that time, I tend to forget anything that the blurb said other than the most basic facts.  I also actively avoid re-reading the blurbs as they set up undue expectations or leave me waiting for a particular even to happen and ruin my entrenchment in the first part of the novel.  Not reading the blurb is usually not a problem.

In Another Little Piece, however, I was expecting a very different novel.  The first few chapters had me settling in for a contemporary fiction/mystery novel about how an abduction victim re-gains her memory of the horrific events of the year she disappeared.  When the paranormal elements took over instead, I was pretty much blindsided.  I went back several times to re-read the passage and make sure that I was not missing something.  That is not to say that I was disappointed.  Quite the contrary.  The change, while unexpected, led to an incredibly unique story that examined the blurry line between good and evil and the desperate lengths to which the soul will go in order to maintain self-preservation.

I love that Anna was a self-proclaimed monster.  I really enjoy reading books that turn the reader's idea of evil upside down and leave you siding with, essentially, a murderer (I'm looking at you Anna Dressed In Blood!).   In recovering her memories, Anna discovers that she has been the perpetrator of some truly gruesome deaths and that she has made selfish choices time and time again.  Despite this, and perhaps a little bit because of it, I loved her.  I could see the great potential in the character and the horror of the choice that she is faced with.

In a YA novel with a great female lead, I am often disappointed by the boy(s).  But not here my friends.  There was a great connection between Anna and Dex, who had his own super-special stuff going on.  I also really appreciated that the OTHER BOY, Logan was just a great guy and that, despite this, it was clear from the beginning that he was not the one for Anna.  No love triangle here folks!  I did feel like the choice to keep Frankie in child's body for most of the book made him a little laughable and not the frightening character that he could have been.  This did take a little of the tension out of the story.

I am not sure if this book will lead to a series set in this world, but there is certainly room for expansion.  There are a couple of side characters who could easily lead their own novel and I would love to see more of the mysterious Physician who acts as puppeteer behind the scenes.

A note on content: this one is gruesome folks.  Blood, bodies and cannibalism just to start.  There are also a couple of scenes that feature sex between teenagers, though nothing is really described graphically.

Highly recommended, buying it in hardcover, putting it in my classroom and highly anticipating anything else by Kate Karyus Quinn!

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 15 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: Multiple instances of sex between teenagers
Violence: LOTS OF BLOOD! Cannibalism, Physical Fighting, Attempted Rape
Inappropriate Language: Shit, Fuck, Whore, Fag, Bastard
Substance Use/Abuse:  Smoking, underage drinking, alcoholism