Rage

Rage
By Jackie Morse Kessler
April 18 2011
228 pages (netgalley)

Summary: Missy is a cutter. It’s what she does to deal with all the built up emotion. It is how she handles her boyfriend dumping her, feeling lonely and people bullying her at school. Knowing that Missy has a tendency to destroy, Death shows up and provides her with an offer: be War, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Deciding her life could use a little distraction, she takes it. But Missy wasn’t expecting to have to handle the world’s emotions. In order to balance out the world’s self-destruction, Missy must first try to figure out how to handle her own.

Review: The horseman concept is really intriguing and I’m glad that Kessler decided to continue with War. The pacing is rather fast, which makes the book feel much shorter than it actually is which results in a rather engrossing read. Missy wasn’t as captivating a character as Lis was in Hunger and some of the storyline seemed a little circular, but I still enjoyed her story. The bullying and the way that she was teased did add an element of honesty and was a heartbreaking addition to the story. Of course, the best character of both these books is Death. Kessler exceeded all expectations in Rage with this wonderful character.

Also by Jackie Morse Kessler: Hunger

If you liked Rage, you might also enjoy: Willow by Julia Hoban, Scars by Cheryl Rainfield and Grace by Elizabeth Scott

Additional Info: A portion of the proceeds from Rage will be donated to the organization To Write Love On Her Arms.

Author website: http://www.jackiemorsekessler.com/index.php

Rating:
Writing 3/4
Characters 3/4
Plot 3/4
Originality 4/4
Popularity 2.5/4
Cover 4/4
Grade Level Interest: JS

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: “Do you ever wish you would have named your blog something different?”

Even though I’ve heard people say it’s stupid because no one knows what it means, I love the name of my blog. I think it’s pretty original and it stands out. It also reflects what the blog is about. A perfect fit. :)

By the way Crescive means increasing or growing. My blog name suggests that my library is growing :)

What about your name?

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: My Not-So-Still Life
Author: Liz Gallagher
Release Date: May 2011
Summary: Vanessa is wise beyond her years. She's never really fit in at school, where all the kids act and dress the same. She's an artist who expresses her talent in the wacky colors she dyes her hair, her makeup and clothes. She's working on her biggest art project, and counting the days until she's grown up and can really start living. That adult world seems closer when Vanessa gets her dream job at the art supply store, Palette, where she worships the couple who runs it, Oscar and Maye. And she's drawn to a mysterious guy named James, who leads her into new, sometimes risky situations. Is she ready for this world, or not?

So many characters are one dimensional these days, so I always get excited when characters have a passion or a hobby like art. This sounds really cute and I love the cover!

I Love You, Hate You, Miss You

I Love You, Hate You, Miss You
By Elizabeth Scott
2009
276 pages

“Dear Julia, Get this, I’m supposed to be starting a journal about ‘my journey’. Please. I can see it now: Dear Diary, as I’m set adrift on this crazy sea called life....I don’t think so”

Summary: Amy is always left behind. Her friends find better friends, her parents are much more into each other than her, and now her best friend Julia is dead, thanks to her. She’s always drank too much to hide the fact that she doesn’t have a place, but with Julia gone because of her drinking Amy feels more alone than ever. In an attempt to move on and heal Amy writes letters to Julia, remembering both the good and bad.

Review: While this novel does have a lot of similarities to other novels available about the misfit main character, Scott’s fluent and easy to read writing style made this one in particular enjoyable to read. Readers will appreciate the anger that goes along with the story. So often the character just feels sorry for herself, but Amy’s frustration makes her a worth while character. She wants to be miserable, and thus Scott does a great job of letting her be that way. There is a sharpness to Amy that makes her endearing. There wasn’t a lot in terms of secondary characters or setting, the story focuses more on Amy’s journey. It was easy to read and thoroughly enjoyable.

Also by Elizabeth Scott: Between Here and Forever, The Unwritten Rule, Stealing Heaven, Perfect You

If you liked Love You, Hate You, Miss You, you might also enjoy: Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers, Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols, Hold Still by Nina LaCour and Leftovers by Laura Wiess

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

Ratings:
Writing 3/4
Characters 2.5/4
Plot 3/4
Originality 2.5/4
Popularity 3/4
Cover Art3/4
Grade: S

Unearthly

Unearthly
By Cynthia Hand
2011
435 pgs (ARC)

Summary: Clara has recently discovered that she is part angel, which isn’t as exciting as one might think. She’s been given a vision of saving some guy and now her entire family must move to the middle of nowhere to fulfil her purpose. Figuring out the pieces to her vision is somewhat complicated, especially because Clara feels that her mom isn’t telling her the whole truth about being an angel. Will she be able to figure out the vision in time to save Christian, and what if her purpose takes her from the people she loves? Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart. (last sentence from amazon)

Review: Unearthly is a brilliant addition to the YA paranormal genre. Unlike many other books in this genre, Clara is the paranormal, making her a fascinating and worth while character. Readers will relate to her insecurities and voice and she tries to fit in and figure out who she is despite everyone else’s expectations. I like that she was complex and didn’t always make the choice that might be expected. The rest of the characters were well crafted, especially her brother who added a lot of mystery to the ending. The setting added an extra dimension and served to draw readers in even further to this enchanting tale. It also contained quite possibly the most swoon-worthy male character I’ve read in a long time.

This is Cynthia Hand’s debut novel

If you liked Unearthly, you might also enjoy: Halo by Alexandra Adornetto, Fallen by Lauren Kate, Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl and Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

Additional Info: This is a series, so expect a sequal in the near future (author’s website says Jan 2010). Also, there might be a spin off about Maggie, Clara’s mom.

Author website: http://cynthiahandbooks.com/

Ratings:
Writing 4/4
Characters 4/4
Plot 4/4
Originality 3/4
Popularity 3.5/4
Cover Art 3/4
Grade: JS

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 Book(s) would you like to see turned into a movie?”

I would love to see Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan as a movie, although I have no idea how well it would do. Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson or Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins would also be really awesome movies.

What would you like to see?

I'm Reading a Book Song

I saw this earlier on I’d So Rather Be Reading and I had to repost it. Book stuff like this makes my day so much more awesome!

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: Between Here and Forever
Author: Elizabeth Scott
Release Date: May 2011
Summary: Abby accepted that she can’t measure up to her beautiful, magnetic sister Tess a long time ago, and knows exactly what she is: Second best. Invisible. Until the accident. Now Tess is in a coma, and Abby’s life is on hold. It may have been hard living with Tess, but it's nothing compared to living without her. She's got a plan to bring Tess back though, involving the gorgeous and mysterious Eli, but then Abby learns something about Tess, something that was always there, but that she’d never seen. Abby is about to find out that truth isn't always what you think it is, and that life holds more than she ever thought it could

This sounds really good, a little like The Sky is Everywhere. I love everything that Scott does so I can’t wait to get my hands on this!

Anna and the French Kiss

Anna and the French Kiss
By Stephanie Perkins
2010
372 pages

Summary: Anna has been sent overseas to a Paris boarding school and it sucks! She misses home, her brother, her friends, and that boy she kissed just before she left. But being in the City of Lights isn’t so bad. She does meet some great new people, especially good looking St. Clair who everyone is in love with. Determined not to be like anyone else, Anna commits to just being his friend and before long they become inseparable. But who is Anna kidding, she’s totally in love with him and the way he’s flirting with her might mean he likes her too. Being in Paris just got a whole lot better.

Review: Anna and the French Kiss was sweet and charming. Anna was a loveable character because she was clumsy and awkward and totally relatable. Her voice was authentic. Readers will be drawn into the romance between Anna and St. Clair as it is ripe with tension, mixed signals and “almosts”. There is a sweetness to their interactions that was fun to read. While I personally didn’t buy St. Clair as a swoon worthy character, I thought the novel was wonderfully written. It was fun, witty, sweet, interesting and totally hard to put down. Readers will especially love Paris as the setting; it was fresh and added a beautiful backdrop to this cute romantic story.
This is Stephanie Perkins first novel

If you liked Anna and the French Kiss, you might also enjoy: Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour, Unearlthy by Cynthia Hand and Audrey, Wait by Robin Benway

Additional Info: There are two companion books in the works Lola and the Boy Next Door (Sept 2011) and Isla and the Happy Ever After (Fall 2012)

Rating:
Writing 4/4
Characters 3.5/4
Plot 4/4
Originality 3/4
Popularity 4/4
Cover Art 3/4
Grade Level: JS

Always a Witch

Always a Witch
By Carolyn MacCullough
August 2011
netgalley

Summary: Since learning that she not only has powers, but that she will soon be forced to make a crucial decision that could harm her family forever, Tasmin has been dealing, sort of. When she discovers that her enemy Alistair Knight has wasted no time in attempting to wipe out her family, she quickly decides to act upon her grandmother’s prophecy; going back in time to square off with Alistair and protect her family, no matter the cost.

Review: If you enjoyed Once a Witch, you will not be disappointed by the sequel. The story jumps right in, picking up where it left off with Tasmin still coming to terms with all the changes in her life. However, she doesn’t get a lot of time to think about it because the action starts right away. One of the things I loved so much about the first book was Tasmin’s family which unfortunately does not make much of an appearance in this instalment. However, the pacing was well done with a lot of suspense and surprise to move the reader along. Despite the historical setting and the abundance of new characters, readers will still connect with Tasmin and her story. There is still a down to earth element that makes MacCullough’s writing so appealing and a wittiness to Tasmin that makes her so likable. There were times when I was a little confused because it had been so long since I read the first book, but overall it was a very enjoyable read.

Also by Carolyn MaCullough: Once a Witch, Falling Through Darkness, Stealing Henry and Drawing the Ocean

If you liked Always a Witch, you might also enjoy: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand, Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, Evermore by Alyson Noel and The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

Rating:
Writing 3/4
Characters 3/4
Plot 4/4
Originality 3.5/4
Popularity 3/4
Cover Art 2.5/4
Grade: JS

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: “Tell us about one of your posts from this week and give us a link so we can read it.”

This has been a slow blogging week for me as I’ve been very busy at work. However, I did review a really great book called Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler at the beginning of the week. It had a really great short story feel with fascinating characters. It also wasn’t anything like I was expecting, which I love.

You can read my review here.

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.

Beautiful Dead by Eden Maguire (2010) - Not alive. Not dead. Somewhere in between lies the Beautiful Dead. Something strange is happening at Ellerton High. Phoenix is the fourth teenager to die within a year. His street-fight stabbing follows the deaths of Jonas, Summer, and Arizona in equally strange and sudden circumstances. Rumors of ghosts and strange happenings rip through the small community as it comes to terms with shock and loss.

This entire series looks really good.

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares

Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares
By Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
2010
260 pages

“I’ve left some clues for you.If you want them, turn the page.If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

Summary: (from Amazon because it is better than I could do)
Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favourite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Review: Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares was a charming and fun holiday read. Readers will enjoy the absurd and hilarious adventures that Dash and Lily each have as they make it more difficult to gain access to the notebook (Madam Tussards, pervert Santa and, yes, the scene where a baby flies through the air). The New York at Christmas setting also adds an enjoyable aspect to the book. However, the best part is Cohn and Levithan’s brilliant characterizations. Dash is charming, pessimistic and awkwardly brilliant, Lily has unabashed optimism and heart. Together, they make this book one of my favourite holiday stories.

Also by Rachel Cohn: Gingerbread, Shrimp, Cupcake, Very LeFreak
Also by David Levithan: Lover’s Dictionary, Boy Meets Boy, Love is the Higher Law
Also by Rachel AND David: Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist

David’s website: http://www.davidlevithan.com/
Rachel’s website: http://www.rachelcohn.com/

Rating: W4/4 C4/4 P3/4 O3/4 PP3/4 CR2.5/4
Grade: JS

Hunger

Hunger
By Jackie Morse Kessler
2010
174 pages

Summary: After attempting to kill herself, anorexic Lisabeth has been given a new job, she’s been appointed Famine, one of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Despite enjoying the ability to leave her frustrating life of hunger and lies, being Famine takes Lisabeth to places where hunger has life threatening consequences and suffering is all too real. Faced with the reality of starvation, but having the power to help, forces Lisabeth to re-evaluate herself, her strength and her worth.

Review: Hunger was a quick and gripping novel that read like a short story. There is an equal mixture of reality and mythology, creating a story that is unique but does not forsake the grittiness of anorexia. Despite the whimsical elements, Lisabeth’s struggle is real and present and readers will relate to her unique voice. The writing is fast-paced with elements of humour and heartbreaking truths about starvation, hunger and the voice inside us that tells us we are unworthy. Hunger is a completely fresh take on anorexia, one that can be enjoyed by wide audiences.

Also by Jackie Morse Kessler: Rage (April 2011)

If you liked Hunger you might also enjoy: The Giver by Lois Lowry, Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson and It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

Author Website: http://www.jackiemorsekessler.com/

Rating: W3/4 C2.5/4 P4/4 O3.5/4 PP3/4 CR4/4
Grade Level Interest: JS

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 are you reading now and why are you reading it?”

Right now I’m reading Love You, Hate You, Miss You by Elizabeth Scott. I love Scott’s writing and how no two books are the same. I think it takes a lot of talent to be able to write in multiple genres. For some reason I missed this when it came out, so I’m excited to be reading it now. It’s really good.

Trash to Treasure January

Each month there are several books that I start to read but for one reason or another I just can’t get into. I have a fairly 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.

Another Pan by Daniel & Dina Nayeri – read 95 pages. It’s official, I’m in a reading slump. I was really excited for Another Pan, having loved Another Faust so much. There was a lot of promise to this novel, the characters were interesting and I really enjoyed the Egypt mythology aspect of it. However, the plot was too slow to develop and I lost interest. Also, I didn’t like the characterization of Peter and the lost boys, probably due to the fact that I was expecting more of a modern retelling. In the end I just didn’t want to keep reading it.

In the Hammock, I Swim for Oceans and Inked Books all have positive reviews on their blogs you should check out.

Sea Change by Aimee Friedman – read 57 pages. I was really hesitant to try a mermaid book (is this actually a mermaid book?) and after a few pages my scepticism got the best of me and I lost interest. I liked the characters and the setting was especially interesting, but the writing was a little slow. I think had I not had a pile of books at home that I was dying to read I probably would have given this one a better shot because it actually wasn’t bad. I think the setting was compelling enough for me to probably give this one another shot in the future.

Nice Girls Read Books, The Hiding Spot and the Story Siren all have positive reviews on their blogs you should check out.

Stolen by Lucy Christopher – Read 50 pages. I loved the premise of this book. I liked the idea of the kidnapping, the kidnapper being sort of a nice guy and the fact that it is written as if in a letter to her captor...all great things. The characters were great and the Australian outback setting was really well written. However, the plot moved really slowly, I just could not get into it. I even skipped a few pages to see if it got more interesting – it didn’t. For some reason my patience and tolerance for books is low this month because it actually was a very interesting book.

Wondrous Reads, Chicklish and the Compulsive Reader all have positive reviews on their blogs you should check out.

Fall for Anything

Fall For Anything
Courtney Summers
2010
230 pages

Summary: When Eddie’s brilliant photographer father commits suicide her world is turned upside down. She can’t seem to figure out the why and it’s killing her. When she meets Culler, a student of her father’s, she finally finds someone as alone and curious as her. Together they visit some of her dad’s favourite sites and try to piece together a man who meant so much to both of them yet was such a mystery.

Review: Courtney Summers is a powerful writer who creates characters and stories that are unapologetic in their honesty. Fall for Nothing is a brilliant portrayal of grief in both its simplicity and complexity. The writing is stylized, sparse and sharp, giving the reader the feel that each word was chosen with precision. There isn’t too much with respect to plot development, which serves to focus the story on Eddie and her loss. There also is not a lot of character development. Instead of trying to fix Eddie, Summers lets her stay sad and broken, making for a refreshing and honest read. Fall for Anything proves once again that Courtney Summers knows how to write relatable and sincere novels, making her one of the best new YA writers.

Also by Courtney Summers: Cracked up to Be and Some Girls Are

If you liked Fall for Anything, you might also enjoy: The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, Hold Still by Nina LaCour, Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder and If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Author website: http://courtneysummers.ca/

Rating: W4/4 C4/4 P3.5/4 O4/4 PP3/4 CR4/4
Grade: JS