A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young. Balzer & Bray, an imprint of Harper Collins. 2011. Reviewed from ARC from publisher. The Plot: Charlotte appears to be a typical teen. She goes to school; has a best friend, Sarah; a boyfriend, Harlin; volunteers at the free clinic; has a family who loves her. Charlotte has [...]
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai. HarperCollins. 2011. Reviewed from ARC from publisher. The Plot: Saigon, 1975. Ha is ten, the youngest (and only daughter) in her family. While the war has touched her life — her parents fled North Vietnam years ago; her father has been missing for years — Ha is a [...]
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson. Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. 2011. Reviewed from ARC from publisher. The Plot: Elisa, Princess of Orovalle, weds Alejandro de Vega, King of Joya d’Arena on her sixteenth birthday. Elisa is not just a princess; she is also the bearer of the blue Godstone, lodged in [...]
Bumped by Megan McCafferty. Balzer & Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins. 2011. Reviewed from ARC from publisher. The Plot: Welcome to 2035. A virus made almost everyone over the age of 18 infertile, which means that teen pregnancy (but not teen motherhood) is now the ideal. Harmony and Melody are sixteen year old twins, separated at [...]
A Lesson in Secrets, a Maisie Dobbs novel by Jacqueline Winspear. Harper Collins. 2011. Reviewed from ARC from ALA. With the July 4th weekend coming up, here’s another holiday reads for the grown ups. The Plot: Maisie Dobbs, psychologist and private investigator, is recruited in 1932 to go undercover for the British Secret Service. Her [...]
Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon. Greenwillow Books, an imprint of Harper Collins. 2009. Reviewed from ARC from publisher. The Plot: Ai Ling is seventeen. At the first betrothal arranged by her loving parents, not only is she rejected by the bridegroom and his mother (Ai Ling is too tall; her father left the Emperor’s court [...]
Divergent by Veronica Roth. Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of Harper Collins. 2011. Reviewed from ARC from publisher. The Plot: In a future Chicago, a person is born into one of five factions. Each faction lives according to an overall guiding belief system. Abnegation: being selfless. Amity: peace and love. Candor: honesty. Dauntless: courage. Erudite: [...]
The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson. HarperCollins. 2010. Review from ARC from ALA Midwinter. The Plot: In Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes, Ginny Blackstone was left thirteen envelopes by her late aunt, resulting in a tour of Europe that pushed Ginny outside her comfort zone and gave her some insight and understanding into the life [...]
House of Dolls by Francesca Lia Block, illustrated by Barbara McClintock. Harper Collins. 2010. Reviewed from ARC from publisher. Middle grade. The Plot: Dolls Wildflower, Rockstar, and Miss Selene live together in their house, which was first owned by Madison Blackberry’s grandmother. The three dolls are happy enough, with Wildflower’s boyfriend Guy and Rockstar’s B. [...]
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. Harper Collins. 2010. Reviewed from ARC from publisher. The Plot: Evie, sixteen, works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, helping contain paranormals such as faeries, vampires and werewolves. It’s her version of normalcy until a captured shape-shifter makes her rethink everything she knows about paranormals, the IPCA, and herself. The Good: I [...]
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