Young Adult Archives - Page 12 of 16

The Dreaming Place by Charles de Lint

Ash is a teenage girl who is angry at the world. Angry at her mom for dying and leaving her alone. Angry at her dad for refusing to take her in. And especially angry at her cousin Nina for having everything. That kind of anger inevitably draws attention. The problem is, the spirit who first noticed Ash's anger is now focused on Nina. Can Ash figure out what is going on and find it in her heart to save her cousin? This has always been one of my least favorite of de Lint's books. Much as I love his work, I'm usually disappointed in his young adult novels. I love his books for his characters and I never relate to the teens very well. I don't know if it's just me or if he truly doesn't develop them as well. In this case, Ash is a pretty typical troubled teen and Nina is a pretty typical goody-two-shoes. So maybe it is him... Anyway, there's nothing terribly new here, although it was nice to come across the first references to Cassie and Bones. The underlying hope and faith in human decency that I consider another hallmark of de Lint are also here. The world can always use more stories about forgiveness, love, and the power to change for the better, right? I wouldn't recommend this to a new de Lint reader, but fans should definitely read it. Read my review of the first book set in Newford, Dreams Underfoot. Read an excerpt. Find author Charles de Lint on his website, Twitter, and Facebook. Buy The Dreaming Place at Malaprop’s | Better World Books I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop's, my local independent bookstore located in downtown Asheville, NC; and Better World Books. I will receive a small commission at no…

Sabriel by Garth Nix: Book Review

Sabriel has just graduated from her boarding school in Ancelstierre when she receives a message from her father letting her know that he's in trouble and needs help. The problem? Her father, Abhorsen, is a talented necromancer whose job is making sure that the dead stay dead. Sabriel has some magic training, but she's going to need a lot of help. I hate to say it, but this didn't really grab me. It was a quick read, and I did enjoy it, but I also felt like this is a book that I could forget quickly. I think my problem is that I never felt like I knew Sabriel all that well. I need a connection to characters to really love a book, and that just didn't happen for me here. To be honest, that may have been done purposefully. Sabriel is eighteen. She doesn't really know herself and her powers yet. How can I know her if she doesn't quite know herself? There were a couple of things that made me think that she might eventually have an inner struggle about how she's going to use her power. If that happens, it could get really interesting. I did like that I felt like I was learning along with Sabriel. I don't know anything about The Old Kingdom? Neither does she. I don't understand anything about Mogget? Neither does she. So I did feel like we were on the journey together. There were two other characters that I liked a lot--Mogget and Touchstone. I'm curious to find out Mogget's story, and I have a feeling that Touchstone could turn into a major book crush! I'll definitely keep reading the trilogy, but I really hope that I get to know Sabriel better. Reviewed May 31, 2009 Read an excerpt. Find author…

Leaving Gee’s Bend by Irene Latham: Book Review

Ludelphia Bennett is worried about her mom. After several miscarriages, Mama finally seems to be carrying a baby to term. But she is coughing a lot and looking weaker every day. When the baby comes early, Ludelphia doesn't know what to do. She asks their neighbor, Etta Mae, for help. But Etta Mae has a bad reputation since she came back to the little town of Gee's Bend, and everyone thinks she made things worse instead of better. When Mama gets sicker and sicker after the birth, Etta Mae challenges ten-year-old Ludelphia to go for help--in the next town over. Does Ludelphia have what it takes to leave Gee's Bend and make it back? There is more to little Ludelphia than you would think at first glance. She has lived in the microscopic town of Gee's Bend all her life, but out of love for her mother she is willing to journey alone to the next town. Of course she meets unforeseen obstacles along the way, but she ultimately meets them head-on with all the grace she can muster. She must be a beautiful quilter as well. Her quilting is what helps her to think clearly. She accumulates little pieces of cloth along the way to make a quilt for Mama when she gets better. Each piece will tell a part of the story of her journey. I really liked the sense of community that the people of Gee's Bend shared. Of course they didn't all get along, but they looked out for each other and shared the little they had. My one complaint isn't even about the book itself. I read the Author's Note as well, and apparently this book is loosely based around some true events in the town's history. I would have liked a little more of…

The Maze Runner by James Dashner: Book Review

Thomas suddenly awakes in a box as a group of other teenage boys looks down at him, calling him unfathomable names like "shank" and "greenie." He has no idea how he got there or where he came from. All he remembers from his past is his name. He eventually learns that this group of 50-60 boys live in the heart of a maze. They've been looking for a way out for years and haven't found it yet. They must return to the Glade every night, or else they'll be locked out and left for the Grievers. Thomas starts to have a feeling that he knows more about the maze than he first thought. Turns out he's right. Eh. Ya know, dystopian novels are just not my thing, yet I keep trying. At what point do I give up? Is it good that I keep trying or is it a waste of my time? I just don't know. My problem with this book was that absolutely no one would tell Thomas what was going on. Granted, they don't know a whole lot about what's going on either, but someone could at least say, as soon as they get him out of the box, "Look, dude. You're in the middle of a gigantic maze. None of us knows how we got here. None of us remembers anything before waking up in that box. We get supplies weekly. Don't get caught outside the Glade after dark because these horrible monsters that we call Grievers will kill you. Yes, we've been looking for a way out but we haven't found it yet. Any questions?" Instead it's just a whole lot of, "Shut up with the questions! We'll explain tomorrow." And then, when tomorrow comes, it's "Shut up with the questions! I'll get to that…

Everlost by Neal Shusterman: Book Review

Nick and Allie were traveling in opposite directions on a windy mountain road. After a terrible accident, they find themselves traveling down a tunnel toward a light. But they bump into each other again and don't get where they're going. Instead, they end up in Everlost, a ghostly realm that co-exists with our world and is populated with other children who didn't get where they were going. They have a hard time accepting their new status as "Afterlights," a name appropriate for the unearthly glow they have now in their afterlives. Of course, they decide to go home. On the way, they meet many other Afterlights and hear terrible stories about a monster named The McGill, a shadowy figure known as The Haunter, and a famous girl known as either Mary Hightower or Mary, Queen of Snots, depending on your view of her. Eh. I admit that I was a little taken aback by the opening scene and the car crash. It's not graphic, but I expected a YA/MG book to open after the crash, not describe a head-on collision. My big thing was that I didn't really like anyone. Nick was okay and Leaf was fun, but Allie? She quickly establishes herself as a bossy know-it-all who doesn't listen to anyone else. She gets worse from there--and she's a main character. I really need to like my main characters. I was never sure what to think about Mary either. She's so angelic that you have to suspect she's up to something. Plus, the narrator read her with a holier-than-thou tone which just set my teeth on edge. There's a twist toward the end that I saw coming from miles away, and I think a lot of other readers will too. This next bit is going to be way too…

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi: Book Review

4 Stars. I just read Art Spiegelman’s Maus about a month ago and loved it. I thought I would go ahead and give this other highly-acclaimed graphic novel/memoir a try. I enjoyed it, if that’s the correct word, but it didn’t affect me quite the same way Maus did. I’m not too sure why. Maybe it’s because I know more about WWII than [...]

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones: Book Review

"In the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three. Everyone knows you are the one who will fail first, and worst, if the three of you set out to seek your fortunes." So begins Howl's Moving Castle. Our protagonist, Sophie Hatter, is well aware of the fate awaiting the oldest child. But circumstances force her to set out to seek her fortune despite the fact that she is the oldest of three daughters. This is one of those books that reminds you of the magic that made you fall in love with reading in the first place. Just look at that opening paragraph. Who can resist the lure of that? I immediately felt it calling me on to find out what does happen to the eldest. Overall, this was a charming fairy tale. And like all good fairy tales, everyone comes out a little wiser in the end. But what I really liked about this particular fairy tale is that Sophie was not a helpless maiden in distress. She was saved from quite a few jams, but she did just as much saving with her quick wits. But at the same time, she was a flawed character who made mistakes but ultimately learned from them. This was one of those books that left me with a satisfied smile at the end. I think it would be fun for both the young and the young-at-heart. I highly recommend it and I'll be looking for the sequel. Reviewed April 6, 2009 Read an excerpt. Read my review of Castle in the Air, the next book in the loose series. My Character Connection post about Sophie. Buy Howl's Moving Castle at Malaprop’s |…

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale: Book Review

I loved this. I finished it with a huge smile on my face and that contentment that comes from a story well told. It's like enjoying a feast for the reader's soul. I had heard so many good things about this book, I went into it with very high expectations. I have to admit that I wasn't too sure what to think at first. The...

Wild Orchid by Cameron Dokey: Book Review

3 Stars. This was a decent book, but I have a couple of complaints. I was excited to read a non-Western fairy tale re-telling. While I did enjoy the story, and I really liked Mulan herself, this book stayed a little too faithful to what I know of the legend from the Disney movie. I enjoy re-tellings that add an unusual twist to [...]

M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman: Book Review

I'm trying out audio (again), this time during my commute to work. My commute isn't bad, about 30 minutes, so a collection of short stories, written and read by Neil Gaiman no less, seemed like a good place to start. I was right! I'll say first of all that I love Gaiman's voice. I could listen to the man all day. I don't really have any other narrators to compare him to, but just the fact that I actually finished this audio book should be a testament to his greatness! I've read a lot of these stories in print, but I have to say that hearing Gaiman read them himself added a little something to the story. For example, I would never have "heard" the troll speaking in such a gray, tired voice if I had read it on my own. Hearing Gaiman's take on that really paved the way for the ending of that one. There were more examples, but that's the most striking. "Four and Twenty Blackbirds" reminded me a lot of Jasper Fforde's Nursery Crime series. It's a very tangled, nursery rhyme noir PI story, which sounds like a big mess but was actually a lot of fun. "Troll Bridge" was a little eerie. I did not see the ending coming, but it made sense. It reminded me a little of another story of Gaiman's that I read in Fragile Things. I like this take on the theme better. "Don't Ask Jack" was probably my least favorite, just because there wasn't much story. It's a goose-bump-inducing little vignette though. "How to Sell the Ponti Bridge" was another I wasn't that crazy about. It was sort of a fantasy version of a ballsy scam. Not exactly my thing. "October in the Chair" is a story that I really…