Author: Katie Crouch
Published: May 3, 2011
Pages: 368
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Description from Goodreads:
After the death of her free-spirited mother, sixteen-year-old Alex Lee must leave her home in northern California to live with her wealthy grandmother in Savannah, Georgia. By birth, Alex is a rightful, if unwilling, member of the Magnolia League, Savannah's long-standing debutante society. She quickly discovers that the Magnolias have made a pact with a legendary hoodoo family, the Buzzards. The Magnolias enjoy youth, beauty and power. But at what price?
As in her popular adult novels, Crouch's poignant and humorous voice shines in this seductively atmospheric story about girls growing up in a magical Southern city.
Review:
Alex grew up in a commune in California, a life she thought was perfect until her mother dies in a car wreck and she is left alone. Soon she is sent to live with her grandmother in Savannah, Georgia, and finds that she is very out of place. Her grandmother is the head of the Magnolia League, a secret society within Savannah that rules the town. At first Alex thinks it is some type of social club, but soon learns that it is a secret group that relies on the magic of hoodoo, an African American folk magic. With hoodoo the power within the Magnolia League is unlimited: wealth, youth, love. But the price one pays for the power is high. Alex wrestles with the power of the magic and her desires to pursue her own life, but does she have a choice in the matter?
I wasn't sure what to expect with this novel. The use of the supernatural has become so common in YA literature today that many of the books seem to run together and it can be hard to find something new. Ms. Crouch has really provided something refreshing and interesting in her use of the hoodoo magic. I was not aware of this type of magic and found it fascinating. The use of a magic so powerful that those who practice it will not partake speaks volumes about the bad side of using magic to get your needs met. But magic has a seductive side too and those who are in the League cannot seem to see the dark side of using it to craft their lives.
The story grabbed me from the start and I found it hard to put it down. The setting of Savannah was perfect for the story and a place where hoodoo magic had deep roots. Alex is a wonderful character who longs to belong somewhere but has a hard time finding out what she really wants. Unfortunately for her, her grandmother is all too happy to dictate what she should do.
Following Alex's journey of discovery through the maze of hoodoo magic and how it has been woven into the lives of her family kept me on the edge of my seat as she found skeletons in the closet that I was not expecting. There was also plenty of romance and intrigue to be found in the story. I loved this book and cannot wait for the next installment, I can't wait to see how Alex's story turns out.
Rating: An excellent story you will enjoy
Note: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley for review but did not get any compensation for the review.
Author: Jordan Dane
Published: March 22, 2011
Pages: 384
Rating: 5+/5 stars
Brenna Nash grew up as a loner in Shawano, Oklahoma. Not one to follow the latest trends and fads, she dressed funny and spent time in the cemetery, probably because she could see dead people. Raised by a single mother, an outcast of her peers, she develops a friendship with White Cloud, an orphan Indian boy who longed to be adopted by the local Euchee tribe. They form a bond as only those who have been alone can but it all falls apart when Brenna finds White Cloud over the bloody body of a dead classmate.
Fast forward two years. Brenna and her Mom are returning to Shawano after having been forced to leave because of the rumors surrounding the killing. Her grandmother has died and they need to settle her estate. Brenna learns that White Cloud has been hospitalized in the local sanatorium, catatonic since his arrest for the stabbing of the local girl. Heartbroken and feeling guilty about accusing him without knowing the whole story, Brenna decides to investigate what really happened the night Heather Madsen died. The mystery that unfolds is truly gripping and had me guessing until the very end.
Every once in awhile you run across a book that proves to be a rare gem. Twenty pages in and I knew I had found such a book - something readers long for, a book that you can curl up on the couch with and disappear into for hours of pure pleasure. The book is sprinkled with colorful characters, the best being Brenna Nash. Anyone who has ever felt on the outside of the in crowd will recognize a piece of Brenna. Her loneliness, pain and strength came together to form one of the most unforgettable characters I have seen in a long time. I was rooting for her and more than once my heart broke for her. The growth she displayed over to overcome her personal demons and love herself was remarkable. The other characters are equally compelling, from the town bully to the local Sheriff. The small town was painted as a rural place where prejudice still lived and colored the opinions of those who live there. The incorporation of Native American lore and mysticism was just magic and so well done that you could tell the author did her homework on this one. The mystery of who killed Heather Madsen was compelling and I was surprised at the identity of the real killer. The wonderful combination of mystery, unforgettable characters, friendship and the power to overcome personal obstacles makes this one of the best books I have read in over a year, and one of the few books that have a permanent place on my bookshelf.
Rating: 5++ Stars A rare find, DO NOT miss this one!
Note: I received this book via Netgalley from the publisher for review, but did not get any compensation for my review
Author: Eden Unger Bowditch
To be published: March 15, 2011
Publisher: Bancroft Press
Pages: 320
Rating: 3/5 Stars
My Review:
In 1903 five very intelligent children come from around the world and are deposited at Sole Manor Farm, a school outside Dayton, Ohio. They have several things in common: all their parents are well known scientists, they were brought to the school by mysterious men dressed in odd black outfits and now all their parents are missing.
This is the setting of the book as the children try to make sense of their missing parents and the men in black. They fear their parents have been kidnapped and in their efforts to find and rescue them they create an exciting invention. The book explores their feelings of having been left alone and how they form a bond of friendship to find a way out of their situation. Despite being smart enough to invent things and solve scientific problems the children still want to be held, kissed and loved by their parents.
I found this book to be enjoyable. The characters were well developed and likable, and the story was told from each characters point of view during the novel. So many books now use the supernatural to insert magic into the story. Here the magic is found in the way the children see the world around them. I found myself wanting to solve the mystery of their parents disappearance long with the kids. The book kept me engaged throughout and held several surprises along the way. As the book ended some questions were answered, but many more remained, setting up the next book in a planned trilogy. While listed as young adult, I would say it is geared toward the younger end of this group, but is an enjoyable read for all ages.
Rating: An enjoyable read
note: I received this book via netGalley from the publisher for review, but do not get any compensation for my review
After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues - and they’re for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew. Printz medalist John Green returns with the brilliant wit and searing emotional honesty that have inspired a new generation of listeners. My Review: Quentin and Margo Roth Spiegelman grew up as next door neighbors. They were friends until the age of ten when Margo ditched him for the cool crowd. Over the next few years he watched her from afar, mesmerized by her antics. The story finds them on the cusp of high school graduation. Margo is the girl that every high school has, beautiful, popular figure who seems to have the world at her fingertips. One night she appears at his bedroom window, asking him to join her in a night of pranks to get even with those who have wronged her. This experience provides new hope to Quentin that their friendship can be renewed, but the next day Margo is gone, run away from home and her life. But she has left some clues for him, and as he unravels them he finds that he never really knew her at all. His first fear is that she has committed suicide, a reasonable thought with what she was experiencing in her life at the time. He follows the clues, fearful that he will stumble on her dead body. Finally the clues lead Quentin and his geeky buddies on a hilarious across the country road trip. We watch his journey as he strives to find Margo, and in doing so he finds himself. This book was beautifully written. The details used to describe moments found in real life created a masterpiece. The wonderful, quirky character development made even minor ones come to life and I could see them in the halls of my local high school. There were many moments when I laughed out loud while reading. The story stayed with me for days after I read it. On the surface it seemed to be a mystery to solve, but on reflection the true, deeper meaning of the book becomes evident. It was almost like I was so interested in him finding Margo that I almost missed the point of the exercise. While you may want to speed through this book along with the story, I suggest you slow down and savor each moment, novels like this don't come along everyday. My Rating: An outstanding read you will not want to miss this one
Author: John Green
Published: October 16, 2008
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Genre:
Pages: 305
Rating: 5/5 stars
Description from Goodreads:
Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life - dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge - he follows.
Each year the CYBILS (Children and Young Adult Blogger's Literary Awards) are awarded to books that combine literary merit with kid appeal, resulting in great books that kids can't wait to read. Winners for 2010 were announced on February 14 and they are:
Young Adult Non-Fiction:
The Secret of th
e Yellow Death: A True Story of Medical Sleuthing
Author: Suzanne Jurmain
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Red oozes from the patient's gums. He has a rushing headache and the whites of his eyes look like lemons. He will likely die within days.
Here is the true story of how four Americans and one Cuban tracked down a killer, one of the word's most vicious plagues: yellow fever. Set in fever-stricken Cuba, the reader feels the heavy air, smell the stench of disease, hear the whine of mosquitoes biting human volunteers during the surreal experiments. Exploring themes of courage, cooperation, and the ethics of human experimentation, this gripping account is ultimately a story of the triumph of science.
Young Adult Graphic Novels:
Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty
Author: G. Neri
Illustrator: Randy DuBurke
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Synopsis from Goodreads:
In August of 1994, 11-year-old Robert “Yummy” Sandifer — nicknamed for his love of sweets — fired a gun at a group of rival gangmembers, accidentally killing a neighborhood girl, Shavon Dean. Police searched Chicago’s southside for three days before finding Yummy dead in a railway tunnel, killed by members of the drug gang he’d sought to impress. The story made such an impact that Yummy appeared on the cover of TIME magazine, drawing national attention to the problems of inner city youth in America.
Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty relives the confusion of these traumatic days from the point of view of Roger, a neighborhood boy who struggles to understand the senseless violence swirling through the streets around him. Awakened by the tragedy, Roger seeks out answers to difficult questions — was Yummy a killer or a victim? Was he responsible for his actions or are others to blame?
Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction:
Rot & Ruin
Author: Jonathan Mayberry
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Synopsis from Goodreads:
In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half. Benny doesn't want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human.
Young Adult Fiction:
Split
Author: Swati Avashti
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Sixteen-Year-Old Jace Witherspoon arrives at the doorstep of his estranged brother Christian with a re-landscaped face (courtesy of his father’s fist), $3.84, and a secret.
He tries to move on, going for new friends, a new school, and a new job, but all his changes can’t make him forget what he left behind—his mother, who is still trapped with his dad, and his ex-girlfriend, who is keeping his secret.
At least so far.
Worst of all, Jace realizes that if he really wants to move forward, he may first have to do what scares him most: He may have to go back. First-time novelist Swati Avasthi has created a riveting and remarkably nuanced portrait of what happens after. After you’ve said enough, after you’ve run, after you’ve made the split—how do you begin to live again? Readers won’t be able to put this intense page-turner down.
If you are looking for a good read, check these out. I will be posting reviews in the coming weeks.
