Tag Archive | 2012

Swipe by Evan Angler

Logan Langly is twelve years old living in the small town of Spokie, a part of New Chicago. Soon he will receive his Mark allowing him to get a job, ride public transport and buy things. It’s a right of passage, the right of pledging to become a full citizen of American Union. Everyone is excited to get his or her Mark this year, everyone that is except for Logan.

Five years before, Logan’s sister Lily went for her Mark but never returned. Ever since that tragic day Logan has been convinced he’s being watched, hunted with no idea why. When he goes for his Mark, he’s sure to come back isn’t he? The bumps in the night sing a different tune and Logan will have to make up his mind what to believe in before his 13^th birthday and time is running out.

I was surprised and unaware that this book was written for the middle school range. It took me a while to remember my books of my youth such as Animorphs and Goosebumps to get my head around this kind of story. It’s a bit younger than what I like but once I was able to get into the right age frame I grew to enjoy the book and was impressed with the effective story telling.

Swipe is more than just a story of a missing sister, there is so much more to this new North American world. The aspect of politics is slowly introduced and the struggles of family life because of survival make this a darker read than I expected. The characters are full of life and each has a clear and consistent voice. Most of the characters are male as well and although ‘romance’ is slightly present it doesn’t distract from the real heart of the story: reuniting a family. An excellent book for boys who don’t like to read, I’d suggest Angler’s series to anyone who has a tween-aged reader.

Breathe by Sarah Crossan

Jan8

Simply smashing cover!

The Earth is nearly deprived of oxygen. Pockets of Pods grace the world. Run by the company Breathe, only the wealthiest can afford air to practice sports. These are known as Premiums. Tattooed with a circle behind the ear Quinn has never known a live where one struggles to breathe. Opposite of his best friend Bea, an auxiliary who can barely afford air for her family, they plan a trip out of the pod. It’s just two friends going away for the weekend but that all changes when Quinn sees Alina.

With eyes so green they could be trees themselves, she’s the poster child for the rebellion against Breathe. There’s more to this organisation that neither Quinn nor Bea have any understanding of. On the run, Alina escapes the Pod with Quinn’s help, but it’s his attraction to this mysterious girl that opens up the barren world. There’s just one problem: their limited air supply. For Quinn and Bea, what seems like a wild goose chase will change their lives forever.

I was really excited to read Breathe, I have waited ages for it to be published, and I am so very lucky my local library has a newly published section for Young Adult books. The chapters are each told by one of the characters, Quinn, Bea or Alina. The differences in voices are spectacular, mainly because I disliked Quinn right from the beginning. Alina and Bea are strong, sure footed female voices, whereas Quinn is a typical male idiot for the most part. However, Quinn shows growth throughout the book and this was one of the reasons why I kept reading.

In a world that could easily be our future, I found myself being short of breath as I was reading. Who would want to live in a world where air is limited? How could one company be so rest assured that there would always be enough oxygen? As the book continues there are deeper, more adult questions that pop up. This isn’t just a romance, there is some real scientific concern hidden within the creative genre. I want to know how the rest of the world is faring with hardly any air and I can’t wait for the second book to get published. If you’re looking for some excitement and science fiction pondering, look no further for Breathe with have you gasping for breath once you reach the last page!

Happy Holidays 2012

Dec25

Happy Holidays to everyone from AshleyiSee! May you have a festive and cheerful holiday! I’ll be in Ireland having a traditional Irish Christmas.

Switched by Amanda Hocking

Dec8

Wendy Everly is trying to be a typical teenager. She lives with her aunt and older brother Matt. They travel around due to her inability to stay stationary at school. She tries to be normal, but with a mother in a mental institution for attempting to kill her when she was six, tends to cause some problems. Wendy tries yet again to settle in to a new school, but the ever-watchful Finn makes her uncomfortable.

A natural loner except for her brother, Wendy can’t shake the feelings that Finn brings out when he’s around. He’s hiding something, something that has to do with Wendy. There’s a reason she doesn’t exactly fit in, it turns out her mother isn’t as crazy she appears. Wendy isn’t just a teenager, but in fact is a troll who’s next in line for the throne of her unknown people…

I wanted to like Switched. I love Amanda Hocking’s story – self-published author that lands an enormous book deal. The premise of the story is great too. I loved the idea of making trolls beautiful and that they exist almost anonymously among humans. However, this wasn’t well executed. The troll people are horrendous despite their physical beauty and gifts blessed by nature. What had the potential to be a fresh new spin of folklore doesn’t deliver. They’re mean, they’re materialistic, and they’re not a race I’d take any further interest in learning about. I don’t like them and that causes a problem with the story.

It saddens me that this kind of writing is what people want. Loose plotlines, poorly developed characters and a love story that doesn’t have any heart. Although it’s YA, I expected more. There was so much room to explore this concept. There are two more books in the series and honestly, I think I’m going to leave them. I don’t like letting series go unread, but this was a major disappointment.

Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

Dec4

Family is important. It’s just June and Greta, the Elbus daughters. Their parents are accountants and life goes on during the late 80’s. Their uncle Finn is an artist and June’s Godfather. He’s painting a portrait of the girls and June adores all time she gets to spend with him, while Greta fidgets. Finn is sick. He’s dying.

Fourteen is too young to lose an uncle, especially to a disease that no one understands. As June’s world fades, a secret from her uncle’s past reaches out to her. There’s a man who was close to Finn, even more than June. She’s torn between wanting to know him and resenting him for all the time he received with her beloved uncle. Unable to move on from her grief, and with others pushing her towards false starts. June turns her back on practicality and takes a leap of faith where no one else is ready to believe.

Tell the Wolves I’m Home is emotional and raw. It’s been over twenty years since AIDS caused an uneducated panic and Brunt has brilliantly captured that timeline. She’s also taken the approach of a teenager who loves someone with this disease and refuses to believe where others accept the first thing they hear. June is wise beyond her years, but she does remain essentially a child. Watching her grow through trauma, grief and teenage angst is more powerful than I expected.

The symbolism used throughout the book is stunning and towards the end I was almost in tears. This is a YA crossover at it’s controversial finest. Contemporary and striking you’ll find yourself eager to get back to June. With relatable family struggles this novel will shake your core. YA doesn’t have to be supernatural and full of romance. There can also be a pure coming of age story where love transcends and Brunt has crafted a magical piece of work.

Dearly, Beloved by Lia Habel

Nov15

Nora Dearly is currently trying to adjust to her once empty home becoming overrun with the undead. But in the nice cohabiting way, not running and screaming kind. With the Siege over and a vaccine found it seems there is finally hope for the living to move and rebuild alongside the dead. During a public execution however, a zombie becomes out of control and bites others. Some who have had the vaccine, but now are infected…

This is new strain of the Laz could ruin everything Nora’s father has worked for. It’s only the start as masked vigilantes start parading around town kidnapping zombies that never return. To continue a peaceful world Nora’s father is going to have to discover the root of this new infection and take down the zombie-harming group. As is those were the only problems. A gathering group of zombies called the ‘Changed’ continue to increase and they want the dangerous zombie that is somehow the beginning of answers to this undead puzzle.

My first reaction: Too long, just way too long for my taste. Perhaps it’s because I’m not huge fan of Steampunk, but I like my YA’s way under 500 pages. For those that do love zombies, romance and everything that is Steampunk, you’ll not be disappointed by Habel’s amazing continuation of her Gone With the Respiration series. What I did enjoy was the chance to see the world through previous antagonists’ Michael Allister and Vespertine Mink’s eyes. New character Laura is also gives a fresh perspective outside of the Z Corp world from the debut book and I praise Habel in her voicing talent.

Whereas the first book is about discovering and mystery, this second continuation focuses on politics. It wasn’t my cup of tea, but that’s not to say others won’t fall in love with the story further. Characters grow and relationships deepen. The cruelty of living and breathing humanity against those that are different is frighteningly current. Although set in the future, this is a modern piece of work underneath the fictional pretence. I did feel that this book left me wanting something different, but that’s me and others looking to venture back to New Victoria you will be welcomed back with open (and sometimes undead) arms.

Buy it now! (US only)

Many thanks to publisher Random House Publishing Group and author Lia Habel for providing this ARC!