Adult Fiction for Teens

While I primarily read YA fiction these days I do enjoy some adult fiction every once in a while. This feature looks at some of the adult fiction I am reading and examine its appeal for those who prefer Young Adult literature

House Rules by Jodi Picoult
Jacob Hunt is a teenage boy with Asperger's syndrome. He's hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject -- in his case, forensic analysis. He's always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do...and he's usually right. But then his town is rocked by a terrible murder and, for a change, the police come to Jacob with questions. All of the hallmark behaviors of Asperger's -- not looking someone in the eye, stimulatory tics and twitches, flat affect -- can look a lot like guilt to law enforcement personnel. Suddenly, Jacob and his family, who only want to fit in, feel the spotlight shining directly on them. (amazon)

House Rules is a great for teens who enjoy reading YA issue fiction where a character or family struggle to overcome something difficult. Those interested in quirky and sarcastic characters will also find something to love in the voice of Jacob. For teens wanting to explore topics not often found in YA fiction, House Rules provides interesting insight into both Asperger’s and forensic science. Finally, Picoult easy writing style also make a novel this size accessible for teens, even of a slightly younger age.

YA Connection: Silent to the Bone by E.L.Konigsburg

Coming Soon to a Library Near You

Coming Soon to a Library Near You is a weekly feature inspired by Jill at Breaking the Spine that looks at upcoming books.

This Week’s Book: Blood Magic

Author: Tessa Gratton

Release Date: April 26 2010
Summary: Everywhere Silla Kennicott turns she sees blood. She can't stop thinking about her parents alleged murder-suicide. She is consumed by a book filled with spells that arrives mysteriously in the mail. The spells share one common ingredient: blood, and Silla is more than willing to cast a few. What's a little spilled blood if she can uncover the truth? And then there's Nick—the new guy at school who makes her pulse race. He has a few secrets of his own and is all too familiar with the lure of blood magic. Drawn together by a combination of fate and chemistry, Silla and Nick must find out who else in their small Missouri town knows their secret and will do anything to take the book and magic from Silla

It sounds a little creepy, but different from typical YA paranormal stuff so I’m very excited to give it a try.

Spirit Bound

Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy Novel)
By Richelle Mead
2010
489 pages
Book 5

“one of them dies tonight. Lissa or Dimitri”

Summary: As much as Rose would like to move on and be happy with Adrian and Lissa now that she’s returned from Russia, she is struggling and Dimitri with his creepy letters is making it worse. If there is a chance she can bring him back she has to take it, regardless of the risk. Once again in a quest to save her love, Rose unleashes a string of unfortunate events that might be too much, even for her. Victor is on the loose, the queen’s life is threatened and Rose is a suspect. In a final show down Rose will have to choose between Lissa and Dimitri once and for all.

Review: Mead does the nearly impossible and keeps all the novels in the series as engaging and compelling as the first. While some of the storylines are beginning to get a little old (Dimitri), there are a lot of new developments to captivate the reader. Adrian is given more story time and there is more insight into court life which gives the audience the feeling of a larger subplot brewing. There is non-stop action, quite a few twists and turns, surprise cliff hangers and a few steamy scenes. Readers who enjoy vampire stories will be hard pressed to find a more exciting series. I cannot wait for the final book.

Other books in the series: Vampire Academy (2007), Frostbite (2008) Shadow Kiss (2008), Blood Promise (2009) and Last Sacrifice (Dec 2010)

If you liked Vampire Academy you might also enjoy: The Darkest Powers series by Kelley Armstrong, Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray, Evernight by Claudia Grey and Blue Bloods by Melissa De la Cruz

Author website: http://www.richellemead.com/index.htm

Rating: W4/4 C4/4 P3/4 O3/4 PP3.5/4 CR3/4
Grade Level Interest: high J or S

Coming Soon

Coming Soon to a Library Near You is a weekly feature inspired by Jill at Breaking the Spine that looks at upcoming books.

This Week’s Book: Ten Miles Past Normal
Author: Frances O’Roark Dowell
Release Date: March 2011
Summary: Janie Gorman wants to be normal. The problem with that: she’s not. She’s smart and creative and a little bit funky. She’s also an unwilling player in her parents’ modern-hippy, let’s-live-on-a-goat-farm experiment . This, to put it simply, is not helping Janie reach that “normal target It would be nice to go back to that old suburban life…or some grown up, high school version of it, complete with nice, normal boyfriends who wear crew neck sweaters and like social studies. So, what’s wrong with normal? Well, kind of everything. She knows that, of course, why else would she learn bass and join Jam Band, how else would she know to idolize infamous wild-child and high school senior Emma (her best friend Sarah’s older sister), why else would she kind of be falling in "like" with a boy named Monster. Janie was going for normal, but she missed her mark by about ten miles…and we mean that as a compliment. (amazon)

It sounds like a really funky and kinda cute story. Plus, I love characters that are not ‘normal’.

Fat Cat

Fat Cat
By Robin Brande
2009
327 pages

Summary: When Cat’s science project challenges her to think outside the box, she decides to experiment with a new lifestyle and lose some weight. Not only will she win the science fair beating out her ex-best friend and arch enemy Matt, but she’ll look hot doing it. Yet despite her desire to beat and humiliate Matt, she finds herself wishing he would notice her new transformation, and learns that not everything is black and white when it comes to boys

Review: Fat Cat is hilarious, earnest and totally fresh. Readers will be drawn to Cat’s honesty and struggle as she comes to accept who she is. Everyone is a little insecure, and the character of Cat puts a voice to those insecurities. While I really enjoyed reading about the process the character goes through in changing her lifestyle, I almost wish she hadn’t lost the weight. It would have given the story a better overall message. The pacing was a little slow at times, but the transformation of the character propels you through. Themes of love, friendship and self-awareness in combination with Cat’s witty and sarcastic voice make this novel a winning choice for those who enjoy realistic fiction with an edge.

Also by Robin Brande: Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature

If you liked Fat Cat, you might also enjoy: Pretties by Scott Westerfeld, An Abundance of Katherines by John Green, Honey Baby Sweetheart by Deb Caletti, and Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook

Non-Fiction Connection: Okay, So Now You’re a Vegetarian: Advice & 100 Recipes form One Teen to Another by Lauren Butts and Generation Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Living an Eco-Friendly Life by Linda Siversten

Author website: http://robinbrande.com/

Rating: W3/4 C3/4 P3/4 O3/4 PP3/4 CR3/4
Grade Level Interest: S

The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner
By James Dashner
2009
374 pages

Summary: When Thomas wakes up in the lift, his memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls. Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night the doors are closed tight, protecting them from monsters. Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind. (from amazon)

Review: Dashner is a talented writer who puts the reader right in the middle of his novel. The world building is slow and at times splotchy which creates a parallel experience where both Thomas and the reader try to make sense of the Glade and the Maze. While the book is a little bit more science fiction that I tend to enjoy, I was not overwhelmed by the language and found that it was very easy to follow. There is a lot of action and suspense and the book has a bit of a Hunger Games feel to it with characters fighting for their lives. It also has a few shocking twists and turns which make this a highly entertaining first novel. Great selection for a teen book club.

Also by James Dashner: The Scorch Trials and the 13th Reality series

If you liked The Maze Runner, you might also enjoy: Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, Feed by M. T. Anderson, Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines, City of Ember by Jeanne DePrau

Additional Info: Check out this awesome (and creepy) book trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2-zYcD-dDs

Author website: http://www.jamesdashner.com/

Rating:W3.5/4 C3/4 P3/4 O3.5/4 PP3.5/4 CR3/4
Grade Level: JS

Book Blogger Hop

Time for the Blogger Hop from Crazy for BooksWhat a great idea! I love following readers blogs almost more than I like blogging myself.

What a great way to get out there and meet new people who share the same interests as you.

This week’s Question: What do you consider the most important in a story: The plot or the characters?

That’s a really tough question. I think generally I tend to read more for character. While I like a broad range of books, my favourite authors are ones who know how to write honest and beautifully complicated characters (John Green!).

From the Desk

One of my favourite things about being a Children and Youth librarian is that every morning someone puts on my desk all the new books that have arrived at our Branch for me to look over. It’s a really great way for me to know what we have in our collection, and I’m learning about all kinds of great new books.

Considering I don’t have time to read everything, I thought I would highlight some of the books that I find on my desk that look really interesting.

When Rose Wakes by Christopher Golden (2010) - Ever since sixteen-year-old Rose DuBois woke up from months in a coma with absolutely no memories, she’s had to start from scratch. She knows she loves her two aunts who take care of her, and that they all used to live in France, but everything else from her life before is a blank. Rose tries to push through the memory gaps and start her new life, attending high school and living in Boston with her aunts, who have seriously old world ideas. Especially when it comes to boys. But despite their seemingly irrational fears and odd superstitions, they insist Rose not worry about the eerie dreams she’s having, vivid nightmares that she comes to realize are strangely like the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty.

Coming Soon to a Library Near You

Coming Soon to a Library Near You is a weekly feature inspired by Jill at Breaking the Spine that looks at upcoming books.

This Week’s Book: Invincible Summer
Author: Hannah Moskowitz
Release Date: April 2011
Summary: Noah’s happier than I’ve seen him in months. So I’d be an awful brother to get in the way of that. It’s not like I have some relationship with Melinda. It was just a kiss. Am I going to ruin Noah’s happiness because of a kiss?

Across four sun-kissed, drama-drenched summers at his family’s beach house, Chase is falling in love, falling in lust, and trying to keep his life from falling apart.

This one sounds really cute and warm. I really like having cute realistic fiction like this told from a male point of view, it’s a nice change.

Wild Geese

Wild Geese
By Caroline Pignat
2010
Pg 313

Summary: In this sequel to the Governor General Award winner Greener Grass, Kit and Mick find themselves fleeing Ireland for Canada. Together they must battle the rough Atlantic waters, disease and cool winters in Canada. Kit is willing to give up everything to find her family, maybe even Mick despite everything he’s done for her. In this fascinating story of survival, family and love, Kit must struggle to define home and family.

Review: Despite Wild Geese being a second novel, readers could easily pick it up and read it as a stand alone. Kit’s story is captivating as the conditions of her journey worsen, making her experience all the more heroic. The pacing was quick and the writing style gritty and accessible. While some people may stumble with historical fiction, Pignat does a great job of keeping the reader interested and invested in the story by making Kit such a relatable character. Elements of Canadian history were especially appealing.

Also by Caroline Pignat: Greener Grass and Egghead

If you liked Wild Geese, you might also enjoy: The Sky is Falling by Kit Pearson, Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson and the Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt

Author website: http://carolinepignat.squarespace.com/

Rating: W4/4 C3.5/4 P3.5/4 O4/4 PP2.5/4 CR3/4
Grade Level Interest: JS

Blood Promise

Blood Promise (Vampire Academy)
By Richelle Mead
2009
503 pages
Book 4

“He was the man I loved, the man with whom I’d been so perfectly in sync that it was hard to know where I ended and where he began. My heart refused to let him go – even if he was technically a monster.”

Summary: Dimitri has been turned Strigoi, Rose has run off to find him and Lissa has been left back at school with a reckless new friend. Things are not good for those in the Vampire Academy series. Will Rose find Dimitri and if she does will she be able to kill him before he kills her and how will Lissa fair without her shadow kissed guardian to protect her?

Review: Blood Promise is a complex story, one that is incredibly well developed. It is rather fast-paced with respect to action and suspense. The author creates a lot of danger situations for all the main characters, leaving the reader at the edge of their seat. Yet there is still a lot of character and story development that adds depth and places the book within the larger series. Some of the story felt cyclical, but I enjoyed this novel a lot more than the previous two. A great addition to the series with enough action, romance and strong female characters to keep me wanting more.

Other books in the series: Vampire Academy (2007), Frostbite (2008) Shadow Kiss (2008), Spirit Bound (2010) and Last Sacrifice (Dec 2010)

If you liked Vampire Academy you might also enjoy: The Darkest Powers series by Kelley Armstrong, Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray, Evernight by Claudia Grey and Blue Bloods by Melissa De la Cruz

Author website: http://www.richellemead.com/index.htm

Rating: W4/4 C4/4 P3/4 O4/4 PP3.5/4 CR3/4
Grade Level Interest: high J or S

Book Blogger Hop

Time for the Blogger Hop from Crazy for BooksWhat a great idea! I love following readers blogs almost more than I like blogging myself.

What a great way to get out there and meet new people who share the same interests as you.

This week’s question: "What is the thing you like most about reading book blogs? Is it the reviews, author guest posts, articles, giveaways, or something else entirely?"

I think mostly the reviews. I don’t really read author posts or giveaways. I do enjoy memes, so I read people’s hop questions and I like seeing why people are excited for books on Wednesdays. I also like when people do a little something extra that shows their personality, so a non book related post, an article or just something random.

What about you?

From the Desk

One of my favourite things about being a Children and Youth librarian is that every morning someone puts on my desk all the new books that have arrived at our Branch for me to look over. It’s a really great way for me to know what we have in our collection, and I’m learning about all kinds of great new books.

Considering I don’t have time to read everything, I thought I would highlight some of the books that I find on my desk that look really interesting.

Northern Kids by Linda Goyette (2010) - Children and teenagers experience Canada’s North in a way that adults do not. They have shaped its history, and yet how often are they asked to tell its story? Northern Kids is a collection of tales about the unforgettable young people of the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and remote regions of the western provinces. Based on personal interviews and thorough archival research, each true story is narrated in the voice of a young northerner. Travel along with these kids as they hunt for caribou or hidden gold, mush a dogsled team, climb over the Chilkoot Pass, float down the Yukon River on a homemade raft, and explore the Arctic tundra through every season.

Massive Snowstorm

Sorry for the non book post, but I wanted to let you see some of the excitement that has been happening in my town the last couple of days.

Today is the first day since Sunday that I can see the sky. My town (in Canada) has been hit with a massive snowstorm. It’s actually been pretty awesome. My husband’s law exams have been cancelled, my roommate’s school (she’s a teacher) has been shut down for three days and the library has been closed for two. The city is actually shut down today so that the snowploughs can fix the damage. It’s pretty epic. We’ve stayed in our PJ’s, played in the snow, watched Christmas movies, enjoyed home made soup and relaxed. We’ve had about 100cm (just over 3 feet) of snow. Such a fun way to kick off winter!!!

Coming Soon to a Library Near You

Coming Soon to a Library Near You is a weekly feature inspired by Jill at Breaking the Spine that looks at upcoming books.

This Week’s Book: Clarity
Author: Kim Harrington
Release Date: March 1 2011
Summary: Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift. And a curse. When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case-but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother, who has supernatural gifts of his own, becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away.

I love the cover and the premise sounds pretty good. A little bit like Wake or Evermore

One Night that Changes Everything

One Night that Changes Everything
By Lauren Barnholdt
2010
242 pages

“And then I get it. They’re making me do the things that are in my notebook. All the things I’m afraid of.”

Summary: A lot can change in one night. Eliza’s secret notebook, the one that has a list of all the things she’s afraid of, has been stolen. And it seems to have fallen into the hands of the one person she doesn’t want to have it, her ex boyfriend Cooper. Now Cooper and his friends are threatening to post the notebook online, unless she starts doing all the things on the list. In a wild night of dares, adventure and giant leaps of faith, Eliza learns a lot about herself, her friends and maybe even some secrets about Cooper.

Review: One Night is a charming read. It’s fast paced and has a very similar feel to Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Barnholdt’s characters are usually witty, sarcastic and completely believable, and I think that Eliza is the best one she’s created thus far. Readers will connect with Eliza’s voice, sympathize with her fears and revel in her spunk. The friends add a fun extra dimension to the storyline and Cooper adds an element of sweetness and romance. It is a light read, so don’t expect a lot of plot development, but it is enjoyable and will definitely leave you feeling warm and fuzzy.

Also by Lauren Barnholdt: Watch Me, Two Way Street, Aces Up

If you liked One Night that Changes Everything, you might also enjoy: Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, The Book of Luke by Jenny O’Connell, When it Happens by Susanne Colasanti, Bloomby Elizabeth Scott and The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Author website: http://laurenbarnholdt.com/

Rating: W3/4 C3.5/4 P3.5/4 O3/4 PP3/4 CR2.5
Grade Level: JS

Random

Random
By Lesley Choyce
2010
162 pages

Summary: For 16 year old Joe life doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Both of his parents were killed in a car accident, and four years later he is still trying to deal with the loss. Through a series of tape recordings, Joe tries to find meaning and purpose to his existence, something with which to move forward.

Review: Choyce’s novel is indeed random. There is a lot of meandering thoughts with not a lot of focus. However, this writing style creates a completely unique reading experience where you feel like you are having a very intimate conversation with the protagonist, that you’re privy to his innermost thoughts. While dry at times, Random actually does an amazing job of capturing the thought process of many teens. Joe is relatable in his brokenness, resulting in a story that is earnest with a lot of heart.

Also by Lesley Choyce: Raising Orion and The Book of Michael

Author website: http://www.lesleychoyce.com/

Rating: W3/4 C4/4 P2.5/4 O3.5/4 PP2/4 CR3/4
Grade Level: S

Trash to Treasure - November

Each month there are several books that I start to read but for one reason or another I just can’t get into them. I have a pretty low tolerance for the books I read, usually only giving them between 50-100 pages before I quit. There are just too many books to read and not enough time to “trudge” through something I’m not enjoying. However, I recently realized that I never mention them on here. So I’ve decided to do a monthly feature looking at some of the books I just couldn’t get into and why.

Forget you by Jennifer Echols (2010) – read 83 pages. I feel horrible about this one. I want to preface this by saying that I LOVED Going to Far, Echols first novel. For starters I could not connect with the main character. Zooey just wasn’t believable or interesting enough for me. That’s not saying that the character is poorly written, just that I wasn’t interested in her story. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly I feel as if I’ve read this novel before. It has a very similar feel to Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin, which I read and enjoyed a whole lot more. I do think there are a lot of redeeming qualities about this novel, especially the character of Doug and his tenderness towards Zooey. I think readers who enjoy realistic fiction with a lot of romance will find something to like here. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t commit any more time to it.

The Book Scout, Reading is Bliss and Book Crazy all have positive reviews on their sites to check out.

Book Blogger Hop

Time for the Blogger Hop from Crazy for Books

What a great idea! I love following readers blogs almost more than I like blogging myself. What a great way to get out there and meet new people who share the same interests as you.

This week’s question: "What very popular and hyped book in the blogosphere did you NOT enjoy and how did you feel about posting your review?"

For me it was Forget-her-nots by Amy B White. People LOVE that book, and not just like it, but LOVE it. I couldn’t get into, and it was the first book I posted on my “Trash to Treasure” series. I was really worried I would get hate mail.

Nathaniel Fludd

Nathaniel Fludd: Beastologist Book: 1: Flight of the Phoenix by R.L.Lafevers

When his parents are lost at sea, 10 year old Nate finds himself staying with a distant family cousin who turns out to be the last remaining beastologist. While he would never consider himself an adventurer, it is not long before Nate finds himself whisked off to Arabia to find the world’s last phoenix before it lays its egg.

This short little book contains a lot of adventure and intrigue. Nate is a likable hero whose insecure awkwardness as he discovers who he really is will remind readers of a young Harry Potter. There are fun adventures, mystical creatures, humour and suspense. It’s a great introduction to the series and definitely hooks readers. Those who enjoy Harry Potter or want a light read will enjoy this series.

Author website found here

Grade: M

Book 2: The Basilisk’s Lair
Book 3: The Wyvern’s Treasure
Book 4: The Unicorn's Tale (March 2011)

Coming Soon to a Library Near You

Coming Soon to a Library Near You is a weekly feature inspired by Jill at Breaking the Spine that looks at upcoming books.

This Week’s Book: Bad Taste in Boys
Author: Carrie Harris
Release Date: July 2011
Summary: Kate Grable is horrified to find out that the football coach has given the team steroids. Worse yet, the steroids are having an unexpected effect, turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless flesh-eating zombies. No one is safe--not her cute crush Aaron, not her dorky brother, Jonah . . . not even Kate! She's got to find an antidote--before her entire high school ends up eating each other. So Kate, her best girlfriend, Rocky, and Aaron stage a frantic battle to save their town . . . and stay hormonally human.

I love cheesy wonderful zombie books. They remind me of reading R.L Stein books when I was a kid. Love them.