Earthseed by Pamela Sargent

Title: Earthseed
Author: Pamela Sargent
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: February 2012

Summary (taken from Amazon):

The ship hurtles through space. Deep within its core, it carries the seed of humankind. Launched by the people of a dying Earth over a century ago, its mission is to find a habitable world for the children—fifteen-year-old Zoheret and her shipmates—whom it has created from its genetic banks.  

To Zoheret and her shipmates, Ship has been mother, father, and loving teacher, preparing them for their biggest challenge: to survive on their own, on an uninhabited planet, without Ship’s protection. Now that day is almost upon them...but are they ready to leave Ship? Ship devises a test. And suddenly, instincts that have been latent for over a hundred years take over. Zoheret watches as friends become strangers—and enemies. Can Zoheret and her companions overcome the biggest obstacle to the survival of the human race—themselves?

Review:

Like a lot of the YA books published years before, Earthseed has been repackaged with a new cover by the publisher. When I first heard about Earthseed, it reminded me of Across the Universe since I saw some similarities between the two just from reading the summary.

Zoheret is one of those characters who will take action when she sees or knows that something isn’t right. She’s stubborn and not willing to stand by and give up even if it means getting into trouble or possible danger. So she becomes the reluctant heroine and ends up playing a big part in saving Ship’s inhabitants.

The Hollow, which is an earthlike environment onboard Ship is where the teens are supposed to set up their settlement to prepare for when Ship does find a suitable planet for them. Soon after, human nature starts to take over leading to problems and arguments within the group.

I was surprised by how much happened. I’m so used to plot points being dragged out over several books but that wasn’t the case with Earthseed. There were questions about Earth and it became obvious that there was more to the Project and that Ship might be hiding things from the teens. But throughout the course of the book, everything (and more) was revealed--even things Ship had no idea about.

When I got to the end I did find myself wondering what will become of these characters and luckily I will get to find out since there are two other books in the series that take place years in the future.

Rating 4 Stars

* Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review

The Opposite of Tidy by Carrie Mac

Title: The Opposite of Tidy
Author: Carrie Mac
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: April 10, 2012

Summary (taken from Amazon):

How do you come clean when your life is a mess?  

Fifteen-year-old Junie is barely coping. Her mother has started sleeping in the chair in front of the TV, and the house is so packed with junk, newspapers, cupboard organizers and other helpful items from the Shopping Channel that she can barely get in the front door. Her father is no help, since he’s always with That Woman. To top it off, she’s failing math.  

So when Wade Jaffre, the hot new guy at school, offers her a ride home from school, it seems too good to be true. Junie surprises herself by accepting—and even talking! But as they approach her house, her parents are outside, screaming at each other. Junie doesn’t have to think twice about directing him on to her best friend Tabitha’s house, nor about continuing the charade of pretending she lives there.  

Tabitha and her mother are understanding—and willing to go along, for the moment. But as the weeks go by, Junie’s lies start piling up and the opportunity to tell the truth seems to slip away. Until the day Junie’s world—and her mother’s—is literally turned inside out for the world to see, and Junie and her mother must face the consequences of her mother’s illness ... and the lies they both told to hide it.

Review:

Junie’s been living with the secret of her mother’s hoarding for so long. The only one who know about it is her best friend Tabitha, and even she doesn’t know how bad the situation really is. When Wade Jaffre takes an interest in her, Junie’s life becomes increasingly messy with the lies she tells in order to protect her biggest secret.

Junie lies because she doesn’t want Wade to know about her mom’s compulsive hoarding and how he will see her after he finds out. But by not speaking up and seeking help from others, Junie actually enables her mom to continue with her hoarding which is getting worse and worse. I can understand why Junie felt like she had to lie to Wade at first because they were in the beginnings of a new relationship. But soon the lies are stacking up and things are getting more and more complicated as Junie recruits her best friend Tabitha and Tabitha’s mom.

I really liked Junie’s best friend Tabitha. She’s one of those great friends who will never abandon Junie even when she’s at her lowest point. The relationship with Wade could have been more developed.

There were some sad moments as Junie struggles with trying to help her mom. Overall, I thought this was a good contemporary read. I’ve never read any stories about hoarding and this one really showed how it can affect a family.

Rating 4 Stars

* Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman

Title: The Book of Blood and Shadow
Author: Robin Wassweman
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 2012

Summary (taken from Amazon):

It was like a nightmare, but there was no waking up. When the night began, Nora had two best friends and an embarrassingly storybook one true love. When it ended, she had nothing but blood on her hands and an echoing scream that stopped only when the tranquilizers pierced her veins and left her in the merciful dark.

But the next morning, it was all still true: Chris was dead. His girlfriend Adriane, Nora's best friend, was catatonic. And Max, Nora's sweet, smart, soft-spoken Prince Charming, was gone. He was also—according to the police, according to her parents, according to everyone—a murderer.

Desperate to prove his innocence, Nora follows the trail of blood, no matter where it leads. It ultimately brings her to the ancient streets of Prague, where she is drawn into a dark web of secret societies and shadowy conspirators, all driven by a mad desire to possess something that might not even exist. For buried in a centuries-old manuscript is the secret to ultimate knowledge and communion with the divine; it is said that he who controls the Lumen Dei controls the world. Unbeknownst to her, Nora now holds the crucial key to unlocking its secrets. Her night of blood is just one piece in a puzzle that spans continents and centuries. Solving it may be the only way she can save her own life.

Review:

The Book of Blood and Shadow is a booked filled with history, mystery, intrigue, and secret societies. The history was intricate and very detailed…and I could tell that the author did her research. Also I was very surprised to find out at the end that many of the people, events, and items mentioned in the book were real.

After the death of her brother, Nora transfers to a new school with the hopes of getting away from that part of her past. She becomes friends with Chris and Adrienne and later on starts dating Max, who is Chris’s roommate. Nora is different from a lot of YA characters in that she’s calm, level-headed and thinks things through. Chris is a fun, outgoing guy, great friend to Nora and it was kind of sad knowing that he was going to die in the story and wouldn’t make it.

The thing about the story is that there wasn’t any one thing that specifically grabbed my attention but I guess I liked it enough since I still thought it was a worthwhile read. There was a gradual slow build to the story that will keep readers guessing about the mystery and who the real killer is.

Rating 3 Stars

* Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

In My Mailbox (Apr 21)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post about what books we have received that week (via your mailbox/library/store bought). It is hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren and which was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.

For Review:

Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti

Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg

Girl Out Loud by Emily Gale

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead (read)

The Opposite of Tidy by Carrie Mac (read; look for my review next week)

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

Earthseed by Pamela Sargent

The List by Siobhan Vivian

(Thanks to Penguin Canada, Scholastic Canada, Simon & Schuster Canada and Tor Teen)

These are the books I've gotten in the last two weeks. The books from Scholastic and Simon & Schuster were unexpected suprises as I wasn't expecting them. Between the Lines will be the first Jodi Picoult book I'll read. I really need to read more contempory books and I sure did get a bunch of them this week.

What's in your mailbox?

Mini Reviews: Chopsticks & Private

Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony & Rodrigo Corral

Summary (taken from Amazon):

After her mother died, Glory retreated into herself and her music. Her single father raised her as a piano prodigy, with a rigid schedule and the goal of playing sold-out shows across the globe. Now, as a teenager, Glory has disappeared. As we flash back to the events leading up to her disappearance, we see a girl on the precipice of disaster. Brilliant and lonely, Glory is drawn to an artistic new boy, Frank, who moves in next door. The farther she falls, the deeper she spirals into madness. Before long, Glory is unable to play anything but the song "Chopsticks."

But nothing is what it seems, and Glory's reality is not reality at all. In this stunningly moving novel told in photographs, pictures, and words, it's up to the reader to decide what is real, what is imagined, and what has been madness all along....

Review:

Even before I received a copy, I first saw this book at Chapters. I flipped through it and was surprised to see that its not your typical novel in that the story is told through pictures and scrapbooks.

Since you’re looking at pictures, it made the reading experience very private as you’re looking at some of the captured moments between the characters. But I still felt that it was only scratching the surface and ultimately I wasn’t able to really get to know Glory and Frank. Also, since there’s very little words, a lot is left to the interpretation of the reader--such as the ending.

This format of storytelling is new to me. The book had great pictures, was visually stunning, and I would be open to reading something like this again.

Rating 3 Stars

* Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Private by Kate Brian

Summary (taken from Amazon):

Tradition, Honor, Excellence...and secrets so dark they're almost invisible.

Fifteen-year-old Reed Brennan wins a scholarship to Easton Academy -- the golden ticket away from her pill-popping mother and run-of-the-mill suburban life. But when she arrives on the beautiful, tradition-steeped campus of Easton, everyone is just a bit more sophisticated, a bit more gorgeous, and a lot wealthier than she ever thought possible. Reed realizes that even though she has been accepted to Easton, Easton has not accepted her. She feels like she's on the outside, looking in.

Until she meets the Billings Girls.

They are the most beautiful, intelligent, and intensely confident girls on campus. And they know it. They hold all the power in a world where power is fleeting but means everything. Reed vows to do whatever it takes to be accepted into their inner circle.
Reed uses every part of herself -- the good, the bad, the beautiful -- to get closer to the Billings Girls. She quickly discovers that inside their secret parties and mountains of attitude, hanging in their designer clothing-packed closets the Billings Girls have skeletons. And they'll do anything to keep their secrets private.

Review:

Escaping from her less than ideal family, Reed Brennan is awarded a scholarship to prestigious Easton Academy. Once there she gets her first glimpse of the Billings Girls. Rich, confident and seemingly perfect--Reed decides that they are who she wants to be and tries everything in her power to get in their good graces.

Reed pretty much does everything the Billings Girls tell her to do. At times I wanted her to stand up for herself and say no and to forget about her plans. She wants to make her way to the top and if doing menial tasks for the Billings Girls will help then she will do it. The relationship between Reed and Thomas didn’t feel genuine. Thomas is still a mystery and I didn’t get a good sense of who he “really” is. Overall, Private was entertaining with secrets, scandals and drama (all of which I love). And the short chapters made for a very quick read as well.

Rating 4 Stars

* Copy borrowed from the library

Waiting on Wednesday (Apr 11)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

City of Lost Souls
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publication Date: May 8, 2012

The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?

Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.


** I guess I should have had this sooner as my WOW pick but with less than one month to go until the release my anticipation is building until I can get my hands on a copy.

The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze

Title: The Last Princess
Author: Galaxy Craze
Publisher: Poppy
Publication Date: May 1, 2012

Summary (taken from Amazon):

Happily ever after is a thing of the past.

A series of natural disasters has decimated the earth. Cut off from the rest of the world, England is a dark place. The sun rarely shines, food is scarce, and groups of criminals roam the woods, searching for prey. The people are growing restless.

When a ruthless revolutionary sets out to overthrow the crown, he makes the royal family his first target. Blood is shed in Buckingham Palace, and only sixteen-year old Princess Eliza manages to escape. Determined to kill the man who destroyed her family, Eliza joins the enemy forces in disguise. She has nothing left to live for but revenge, until she meets someone who helps her remember how to hope-and love-once more.

Review:

The year is 2090 and after a series of catastrophic events and natural disasters known as the Seventeen Days, what’s left of England is slowly crumbling. After a rebel group overthrows the king of England, Eliza is the only one in her family who manages to escape and she vows to seek revenge.

Eliza is a princess but she’s not one of those meek girls who will cower and give up when things don’t go their way. Instead, she does what she can to survive and even manages to infiltrate the revolutionary group known as the New Guard in the hopes of killing their leader and the man responsible for the pain and suffering of her family.

Even though it takes place in futuristic London, in my mind I kept picturing it as a historical and there were several reasons as to why. First, its post-apocalyptic so many things have reverted back to the old ways as in there’s no electricity and there’s a lot of travelling done on horseback. And secondly, its about the royal family--so the future generation of the Windsor’s. Whenever I think of royalty, my mind would conjure up images of long ball gowns, corsets, and Regency England. Its not at all the author’s fault but just how things have been engrained in my mind. (On a side note: I’m also curious if any one else felt the same way as I did)

The Last Princess is a quick paced read that will have readers turning the pages. Eliza’s journey is not an easy one and is also one that is filled with heart break and sorrow which will have readers tearing up. I’m really not sure whether or not there will be a sequel since everything is tied up at the end but in the epilogue there was one hint that suggested that there might be more things to come.

Rating 4 Stars

* Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Waiting on Wednesday (Apr 4)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Darkest Mind
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Publication Date: December 2012

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something frightening enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have been cursed with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby has spent nearly half her life desperately trying to hide the fact that she’s outwitted the camp’s sorting system—that she isn’t powerless, or safe. She’s one of the dangerous ones… and everyone knows what happens to them.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of teens who escaped their own camp, pursued along the way by terrifying bounty hunters. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close to him. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Before the end, Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

**********

** I loved Alexandra Bracken's first book, Brightly Woven, and after so long she finally has a new book coming out. I like that the cover is different and not your run of the mill YA cover plus the story sounds great.

The Calling by Kelley Armstrong

Title: The Calling (The Darkest Rising, #2)
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Publication Date: April 10, 2012

Summary (taken from Amazon):

On the heels of the wildly popular The Gathering comes the second in the "Darkness Rising" YA trilogy from NYT bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.

Maya Delaney's paw-print birthmark is the mark of what she truly is--a skin-walker. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly everyone else. Experiencing intense connections with the animals that roam the woods outside her home, Maya knows it's only a matter of time before she's able to Shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents.

Now, Maya and her friends have been forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. Then they're kidnapped, and after a chilling helicopter crash, they find themselves in the Vancouver Island wilderness with nothing but their extraordinary abilities to help them get back home.

Review:

The Calling starts off right where The Gathering ended with Maya and her friends being flown away from Salmon Creek to safety. On the helicopter it soon becomes clear that the pilot is heading in the wrong direction so a confrontation ensues and the helicopter crashes, killing both the pilot and Mayor Tillson. Left stranded in an unknown part of the island, the teens must fend for themselves while evading capture by an unknown group hell-bent on finding them.

Both Maya and Daniel really stepped up in this book because they both have the most experience with being in the forest, they try to help their friends the best they can. Maya’s always thinking of her friends even knowing what she’s about to do is dangerous and can lead to her capture and that goes both ways with Daniel, Corey, Sam, and Hayley all looking out for each other.

It also comes to light the Maya and Rafe aren’t the only ones with supernatural powers. They’re all coming to terms with the fact the supernatural’s do exist and that they might be one themselves. Maya and Rafe are shape shifters but its still not exactly clear what kind of powers their friends might have though there are signs of their powers manifesting now that they are away from the St. Clouds.

The ending is still something I’m giddy about. What I’ve been waiting for since the beginning of the series looks like its finally going to happen in the next book. I’m excited for it and can’t wait to see what the character’s reactions will be.

I’m a big fan of Kelley Armstrong and The Calling was everything that I thought it would be. With lots of danger and action which made for a thrilling, and ever suspenseful read. If you haven’t read any of Kelley Armstrong’s books yet, what are you waiting for? Give this series a try along with her previous YA series too.

Rating 5 Stars
* Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Other books in the series:
The Gathering

Check out the trailer!