Entwined by Heather Dixon

A retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses", Heather Dixon's Entwined is a story of family, loss, magic, and of course dancing.
Azalea, the eldest daughter of the King and Mother (the girls all call the King "sir" instead of father) is called upon to host the annual Yuletide ball, as Mother is very pregnant and very sick. When she is supposed to close the ball with the King, the Prime Minister Fairweller (a younger man, very sober) comes instead to dance with Azalea. The ball is abruptly ended and it is not until the next morning that Azalea discovers why--Mother has died.
The youngest of the princesses, Lily (the 12th daughter, all of whom have flower names), was delivered right before Mother died. The King, distraught and grief-stricken, though unable to show his daughters such, rides off not long after the funeral to fight a war with neighboring country.
Without their parents, the princesses are trapped in the palace during mourning, in which they cannot leave the castle and most depressing for them all, no dancing. Mother loved to dance and when the girls surreptitiously dance they feel connected to their mother. When Azalea finds a magic passage to a beautiful pavilion with a dark man trapped in the passage. In their anger towards their father, the girls swear not to tell anyone--especially the King--about where they go in the evenings.
So begins the fairy tale in earnest. Entwined is wonderfully written, Azalea is a proud, stubborn, determined young woman who wants to fulfill her promise to her mother of taking care of her sisters, and she wants the best futures for all of them (and herself!). It's a great story that doesn't ignore the King, and the personalities of the sisters are developed as well. Definitely a recommended read.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

I did. I finally finished the Twilight Saga.
Thank heavens.
I fully admit to finding Breaking Dawn more palatable than the previous books, especially considering the quality of the writing. I find it much improved in this final book, though it did still drag on for a bit.
Granted, the half-vampire baby eating its mother from the inside out is a little weird and the birth scene a little weird, but those actually were minor in my eyes, probably because I had heard about them before I read the book. The first part of the book told from Bella's point of view had me rolling my eyes frequently. My main complaint with Bella is that she's an insecure whiner. She can't believe Edward loves her, can't believe Edward marries her, thinks she so not worth his time, and frankly, I think that's a terrible attitude for a character to have, especially one that appeals so much to young girls. Yes, I understand that girls are not particularly self-confident, but other others (Meg Cabot comes immediately to mind) have the same flawed characters who end up growing and thinking better of themselves. And I wish it didn't take Bella turning into a vampire to do that for her.
I enjoyed the Jacob-narrated part of the book, if only to get me out of Bella's head (that's really the main irritant for me, the book told from Bella's point of view) for a bit, though--much as I am on Team Jacob--why he puts up with her became much more difficult for me to understand. I just didn't see the attraction I had seen in previous books.
Edward became less obsessed and abusive after Bella became a vampire, I suppose because she couldn't really be broken anymore (and he got her into his family, they're a secret, she wasn't going to see all her old friends anymore, so I guess he won). I've just always thought there was something unhealthy about that relationship.
After Bella became a vampire I didn't like how she kept thinking she was "perfect" and that her human hearing and sight were "weak". I would have been happier if she had come to some sort of positive opinion of herself before she became a vampire. Edward wants to spend eternity with you, Bella, he would not do that with someone he was not devoted to. Wise up. Think better of yourself. Be a vampire, I don't care, just be a better role model for teen girls reading this book.
Renesmee: It's sweet, I think, that Edward & Bella got to have a family. I don't mind the happily ever after part of the story, I think that's quite nice. The imprinting thing I can even handle and think that Jacob's right, Renesmee is why he put up with Bella for so long. One random pet peeve: put the kid in a damn car seat. I don't care if you're supernaturals, the kid needs to be in a car seat, not sitting on someone's lap in the front seat of the car. I don't care if it's fiction.
As for the Volturi, I thought it was interesting that they showed up, I thought it was an intriguing part of the story (I've always found the back stories of the vampires and werewolves interesting in these books), I think I was a little disappointed the confrontation ended so flatly? Glad that none of the Cullens or the werewolves had to die, but it was kind of flat ending to all that build up.
Will I be reading Midnight Sun if Meyer ever decides to complete and publish it? No. I don't think there's anything Meyer could write about Edward that would actually make me like him (or think he's a good book boyfriend for teen girls).
I feel better for having completed the series (even knowing how it ended before I picked up Twilight), primarily because I'm a young adult librarian and if teens are reading, I should have an idea of what they're reading.

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

Elantris is a rich, well-plotted, wonderful fantasy. The characters are well-developed, the history of the nations and religions and characters are revealed in piecemeal throughout the book, encouraging the reader to keep reading! Like most good fantasy, it is not a fast read (at least it wasn't for me) but it was thoroughly enjoyable.
Sarene is a princess from across the sea, sent to marry the prince of Arelon, Raoden. She is 25 and edging on spinsterhood in her own country and in her own mind and feels the marriage with Raoden will not only do good for her country of Teod, but is her last chance at marriage. She arrives unexpectedly a week before the wedding in order to finally meet her future husband in person only to discover on arrival that he has died. The marriage contract was written in such a way, however, that even if one of the parites died before the wedding, the pair is considered married. So Sarene is now a widow without actually having gone through a wedding. Fortunately her uncle Kiin, his wife and children are in Kae, so she has the comfort of some family, since King Iaoden (Raoden's father) has so little patience with women in general.
Raoden is not actually dead, but has suffered the Shaod, or has been cursed with a disease that strikes the Arelish people--their hearts have stopped beating but their minds won't die. Like all people who have the Shaod, Raoden has been thrown into Elantris, the once great city that was the center of Arelon. Elantris once housed what the people called gods, people who could do magic, feed people without growing food, could heal with magic. Mysteriously 10 years ago the Elantrians began to be cursed and with the faltering of the gods of Elantris, Ioaden and the merchants seized control of Arelon.
Third in our story is Hrathen, a Derethi priest who has been sent to convert the people of Arelon to the Derethi religion within three months or Wyrn (head of the Derethi religion and king of the Derethi empire) will simply send armies to Arelon to take it by force. Hrathen is a very logical and practical man, not above bribing to get what he wants.
These three characters (and so many more!) challenge each other, make discoveries about themselves, and fight to save (in each person's opinion) Arelon and Elantris. A rich rewarding read, Elantris is a fantastic story with excellent world building, and wonderfully created characters.

Withering Tights by Louise Rennison

Georgia Nicolson's stories may be at an end, but fans need not fret: this summer will see the release of Withering Tights, the first in Louise Rennison's new series.
Tallulah Casey, fourteen and a half, never had a boyfriend, never been kissed, is away to Dother Hall in Yorkshire for part of her summer break. Tallulah wants to be in the arts and Dother Hall is a performing arts school. The summer term is a chance for new students to see if they have what it takes to be full time students at Dother Hall. Tallulah really wants to be a full time student and start the term in September, except she's got one tiny thing holding her back: she's got no talent. Or at least hasn't been able to display any talent during her term, except poor Irish dancing, bad improvising, terrible singing, and flying off her bicycle into the wings of the stage.
She tries, oh she tries, and she meets some wonderful (and talented friends): Vaisey, Jo, Flossie, and Honey, as well as young Ruby, whose father owns the pub across the way from the family Tallulah is staying with.
But not only does Tallulah intend for this to be her summer of stardom, she also wants it to be her summer of love. Enter the Woolfe Academy boys, the Hinchcliff brothers, and Ruby's older brother Alex. Because really, you didn't the story was going to be entirely about school, did you? Tallulah does have her first kiss (and her second-ish), and a few of her friends experience love. Almost. Kind of.
In the end, Tallulah finds a way to earn her keep at Dother Hall (after a few scares that she may not get to start the term in September with Jo, Vaisey, Flossie, and Honey), especially after their adaptation of Wuthering Heights.
Much like the Georgia Nicolson books (which I love), not a great deal happens in the book, but Rennison has such a great way of ending the stories that you want to find out what happens to the characters next (and I'm feeling a love-rectangle coming on, much like with Georgia, though I'm hoping Lullah picks who I think she should pick, but it can never be that easy). Withering Tights is a fun, easy, lighthearted read, and I admittedly am looking forward to the next one. Just like with Georgia, you just can't get enough of Tallulah. (Though I almost think I might like Tallulah more than Georgia ... is that possible??)

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Micah fully admits she's a liar. She does it a lot. Sometimes it's small lies, sometimes it's big lies, sometimes there's a little truth mixed in, but does she ever tell the whole truth? She promises the readers she's going to try.
A classmate, Zach, has been missing and then found dead. Micah breaks her story into before this happened, after it happened, and various histories (history of me, history of the school, family history, etc). Each bit reveals more and more of Micah, her classmates, her family, and her history with Zach, which is more than anyone ever expected.
She becomes sort-of friends with Zach's girlfriend Sarah and his best friend Tayshawn, and ordinarily Micah is in the background of her school life, but with Zach's death (and a large portion of the school thinking it was Micah who did it) and her relationship with Zach, Micah is suddenly under the microscope, not where she would like to be. These three very different students are grieving for someone who meant a great deal to each one of them, and that's a great dynamic to see, how they are drawn together.
Periodically Micah will reveal a lie--a tiny one usually, but a lie nonetheless. It makes you rethink her entire story. When one of the biggest reveals come, it left me thinking it was just an excuse Micah had used, another lie, and that left me on uneven footing for the rest of the book, as a great deal of the story required the reader to believe Michah's reveal.
It's not made clear in the book why Micah is writing this: is it just for her sake (which is what she claims) or is there a darker reasoning behind it? The book is broken into three parts, all of which have Micah claiming to tell the truth.
I was definitely interested in this book, having read many reviews of it and hearing a lot about it, and really, it's an unusual idea, and then the werewolf part came in. I'm not against supernatural characters, I just wasn't expecting one. So perhaps it was my fault, but it threw me for a loop.
One thing I did love about the story is that I still don't know if Micah was being entirely truthful. I think that was pretty awesome to have this great story, and the reader still is not sure what is laid out before the reader is actually what happened. A well written, engaging story (if you can suspend your disbelief), Liar is recommended for readers interested in mysteries.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Rhine and her twin brother Rowan scramble to keep living, even though like all of their generation, they will be dead before they're old. Girls die at 20 and boys die at 25 due to a virus that is so far unexplainable. The First Generations are adults in their 60s, 70s, the first (and only) genetically perfect generation. No one is certain how long they will live, but a number of them, including Rhine & Rowan's parents, have lived long enough to watch their first children die and are now on their next set of children.
At 16, Rhine is taken by Gatherers, people who prowl the streets for girls who will become brood mares to the wealthy, and taken far from her home and imprisoned by Linden and his father Vaughn. Rhine, along with Jenna (18) and Cecily (13), become Linden's wives. His first wife, Rose, the girl he grew up with and loved naturally, has turned 20 and is in the process of dying. 21 year old Linden has married Jenna, Rhine, and Cecily, but pays them little attention while Rose is still alive. Once she dies, he begins to spend time with each of his wives, first at night (each girl has her own bedroom), then during dinner and afternoons. Rhine reminds Linden of Rose, and it is her similarity to Rose (and closeness, the two girls spent time together before Rose died) that draws Linden to her.
Rhine is determined to escape. She does not want to be trapped in the gilded cage of the mansion whose grounds she cannot escape. Her first attempt to run away (during a hurricane) goes badly, and it is her friend Gabriel (one of the house attendants, who is near her age or a couple years older) who saves her from blowing away. Vaughn knows Rhine was trying to run away and warns her of what can happen if she tries again. Part of Rhine's plan is to become Linden's first wife, the wife he brings to parties and out into the world, so she is nice to him without ever really letting him into her past life, she lets him sleep with her in her bed but never consummates their marriage. She finds there is more to Linden than she originally thought, and a friendship grows between them.
Being a sister wife is more fulfilling than she originally thought as well, as she becomes as close as sisters with quiet, withdrawn Jenna and demanding, slightly bratty Cecily. Linden is easily intimidated when his three wives are together and generally lets them have their own way when they are.
Vaughn is a sinister character who had a son live to age 25 then die. Linden's mother died during childbirth and so Vaughn is desperately seeking a cure to the virus to keep his son alive. Rhine thinks Vaughn's desperation leads him to keep Rose's body in the basement laboratory to try different cures.
Wither is the first book in the Chemical Garden trilogy and I am curious to see where the story will go from this book. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters (even Linden) and I don't know what Rhine will do next. She is so intent on getting to her brother Rowan (who may or may not still be at their home in Manhattan) that you want her to find him, but you know even if she escapes from Vaughn, she will still die when she's 20. But you still want her to escape. Wither is definitely a worthwhile read for high school students and older. I look forward to the next book and hope I won't have to wait too long.

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder

April Bowers is a not very well known sophomore at her high school. Her best friend Haley moved over the summer and April is not looking forward to her sophomore year totally friendless.
She is completely surprised when she is paired with super-popular Britney Taylor in gym class and even more surprised when Britney asks if April is new to the school. So what does April do? April lies: Yes, this is her first year at Penford High. For some inexplicable reason (to April), Britney takes a shine to April and decides that she will be a new project to work on. April is brought into the spotlight as a friend of Britney and followers Erin, Jessica, and Brianna. After a month or so of being Britney's "friend-in-training", Britney decides it's time for April to take the Lipstick Oath. This means following Britney's 7 Lipstick Laws (including not gaining more than 3 pounds, choosing fashion over comfort, revealing all your secrets upon initiation, and doing what's best for the popularity of the group, despite individual wants) and April has grown so addicted to having friends and being popular that she agrees.
Oh, April. April tries to follow the Lipstick Laws and though she's uncomfortable with certain aspects of her "friendships" with Britney & the gang, she does what she's told because she knows Britney can make her life a living hell. Finally, at a party that April doesn't want to be at, with people she doesn't want to be with, April escapes the cops and ruins clothes borrowed from Britney. A misunderstanding (and total bitchiness on Britney's part) results in April being kicked out of Britney's circle of friends and back to loserhood.
She calls Haley (whom she has been in touch with and who has told her to stay away from Britney) and hears the Britney Taylor saga from Haley, including revealing a chubby childhood, a messy parental divorce, and Haley's own booting from Britney's friendship. April & Haley determine there MUST be other girls at Penford High who were once involved in the Lipstick Oath and now resigned to social outcasts, and April finds a way to get in touch with them. She meets three other girls this way and they share their Britney horror stories. They decide they have to get even with Britney for making their lives hell. The plot goes well for the Lipstick Lawbreakers then Britney turns her evil powers on April and it goes back and forth like this.
Now, I know high school is no picnic, it's an awkward time for everybody, and that some people are downright mean, but I wonder just how realistic this is. Why would a sophomore rule the school's social hierarchy? Are students really that mean? I got really worried when one of the pranks involved someone's peanut allergy. Even if it's not a bad allergy (that you know of) it's definitely not something to encourage messing with. I was glad that that aspect didn't come to pass. I was also a little disappointed that when one of the characters took the high road, her antagonist did not follow suit or end up looking ridiculous herself but had to give April one last embarrassing moment. I really appreciated that April did end up taking the high road, and that she realized she was also doing the same thing as Britney had once done (that was painfully obvious to everyone but April; she came around though).
While I found some of the treatment of the girls a little cringe-inducing, The Lipstick Laws (published in April) is still a good story. I was really concerned April was not going to let all this meanness go, and I'm really happy she did. I know it's difficult to, and it can't always be done gracefully, but I think it sets a good example. I'd recommend The Lipstick Laws to readers as young as middle school as I'm not sure some of the language ("boobicle cubicle") and actions would translate to older high school students. It comes out with a positive result, lessons learned, and comfort with being one's self.

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Nora and Patch are back, though not together for very long. Patch reveals (rather reluctantly) that the archangels are watching him and Nora and if he makes it known he's fallen for Nora, the archangels will banish him to hell. Not a very happy prospect for either of them.
So, when Nora discovers this she pushes Patch away. She doesn't want him to go, obviously, so she thinks if she keep pushing him away he won't leave her. But this frustrates Patch. Nora becomes frustrated when Patch spends more and more time with Marcie Millar, Nora's high school nemesis. Torn between her love for Patch and her insecurity, Nora keeps botching their relationship up. (Yes, I totally blame Nora.)
An old family friend is back in the picture, and just like Nora was drawn to Patch's badassness, so she is drawn to trouble maker Scott. Scott is another Nephilim involved in some dark happenings, a blood society of Nephilim who want to stop the fallen angels from taking over the Nephilim's bodies every year. I hope this part of the story comes back in the last few books, I think it's a very interesting storyline and provides more depth (to make it more than just a love story).
Marcie and Nora are partners in summer school, and Marcie strangely attempts to be nice (or at least as nice as Marcie can be) to get information about Patch. But then she just tortures Nora with stories of what Marcie and Patch are doing. Surprisingly Marcie invites Nora to a summer party and Nora gets into a little bit of trouble (which doesn't come out until later).
Vee and Patch's friend Rixon start dating and since Nora broke up with Patch she feels like the third wheel with Vee and Rixon. Vee is not as present in this book as she was in Hush, Hush, being wrapped up with Rixon. Nora's happy for her but wishes she had her friend to herself more often.
And of course, Nora gets in trouble. She steals something from Scott and Scott becomes desperate to get the item back which leads to an intense showdown at the Delphic amusement park where the bad guy is not who you expect.
Nora also learns a little bit about her family history, which ends the book on a cliffhanger and I can't believe I have to wait until October 2011 to find out what happens next. I admit, though I was reluctant to start the books, I've been sucked in. I really like how Fitzpatrick writes, and though I get a little frustrated with Nora because she's stubborn, insecure, and doesn't talk to Patch when that would help a lot, she's overall a likable character. I really like Vee too and hope she plays more of a role in future books. Patch is not my type of guy but I can see the appeal.
So, Crescendo the second book in Becca Fitzpatrick's series is recommended for high school students and older. I enjoyed it and I look forward to the rest of the books!

Carbon Diaries 2017 by Saci Lloyd

Remember what I said about Carbon Diaries 2015 being Life As We Knew It Lite? 2017 changes that. Dark, brutal, gruesome, confusing, frightening ... Laura Brown's world got crazier.
You would think about two years of carbon rationing the UK would have settled somewhat, people would be making do as best they could, and while that is happening, unrest, anger, fear, and discrimination are building, making the world scarier. Laura's trying to get through university, but protesting students are being arrested and beaten and kicked out of university, so she escapes to her parents' home (who moved outside of London) for the spring term and early summer.
The Dirty Angels (Laura's band) are still at it, though Adi is more interested in revolution and fighting than the band. So, Sam (one of Laura's classmates) ends up being a part of the band and when the Dirty Angels get to be part of a European tour, Sam comes with. But France, if possible, is in even more chaos than the UK and when the band is around on election day, a very right wing party is elected, and so the band splits to Italy.
Only to learn that Adi has malaria in Sicily. Laura goes. But it's not easy.
When the group finally makes it back to London, Laura agrees to settle into her university work (there are no jobs out there, so she might as well get an education) and playing with the band.
London explodes with frustration, aggravation, and protests. The army and the government are fighting their own people and after Laura and friends have been lying safely hidden at Kieran's, they decide it's time to be a part of the fight to stand up for what's wrong. It goes amazingly poorly.
Definitely darker than 2015--that book is more about the environment and the side effects of everything going wrong with carbon rationing, 2017 is about people who have finally had enough and want to change the government, which hasn't changed with the changing world. An intense story, and I'm glad that Laura made it out (for now) ok. Changed, but ok.

The Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd

We all know 1) I'm a sucker for books written in the diary format and 2) I'm a sucker for dystopian novels and so The Carbon Diaries 2015 was perfect fit.
The dystopia part wasn't a huge role, the book is meant to take place in modern Britain (and only a few years away from the present) but with a few quirks (or yet to happen events) thrown in. The Great Storm has left the global community thinking that maybe some changes need to be made to how people live.
The UK is the first to make changes by rationing carbon in January 2015. So Laura Brown keeps a diary of what's happening during the year, from the extreme snow to extreme rain to extreme drought (is there any other kind?) back to extreme rain. The weather is just one aspect of crazy during 2015 and Laura just wants everything to be "normal". She wants to play in her band the Dirty Angels, she wants to crush on the boy next door, she wants to pass her exams, she wants her older sister Kim to stop being an evil witch, and she just wants her parents to be normal.
The book reminded me of Susan Beth Pfeffer's Life as We Knew It: the world is going along happily until some extreme event knocks everything out of whack and it's the story of one teenager coping with the changes. Saci Lloyd leaves some humor in The Carbon Diaries 2015, which makes it not as intense as Pfeffer's books. Now the moon didn't get knocked closer to earth, it's just global warming (just? yikes), but the government's plan to put people on carbon rationing changes aspects of daily life: how much you can use the computer, watch TV, take hot showers, cook, all the basic stuff you take for granted. Lloyd does a good job of showing the activities that change that we normally wouldn't think about (Laura's mom can't drive her car as often, Kim is missing her gap year because it's too expensive to fly, students are re-thinking education and careers) and increasing the feeling of desperation that slowly rises amongst the family and the community at large. The snow is frightening (people dying from the cold, no food getting to the UK) and then it all melts and there's relief. The rain is intense (better than the snow) and goes on for days and days and days, and when the sun finally comes out, there's relief. The drought is frightening (people dying from the heat, the city turning off access to water), with no one thinking to save the rain that drenched the people in the spring, and when it finally rains there's relief. The relief is always short-lived because there's some other disaster that's coming closer.
It's amazing how "normal" Laura's life continues to be--she goes to school, plays with her band, fights with her parents, takes her exams, sleeps late on breaks--though cracks in the normalcy peer out from time to time, like when the school has an assembly on what to do during a riot. The diary format moves the book along at a quick and easy to read pace, Laura is a great character struggling with being a teenager and this great change occurring in the world at large. She's easy to relate to and Lloyd does a great job of making some of the usual stuff of teenage life remain "usual". It's a great book, especially for those not as interested in the intense world Pfeffer creates in her books. The Carbon Diaries 2015 is a good book to read after Pfeffer's books. You need a little hope somewhere.
I just started The Carbon Diaries 2017 and I'm interested to see where this one will take me ... check for a review soon!

Sapphique by Catherine Fisher

This sequel to Incarceron is incredible.
I admit I was confused as the end came upon me, but I was so eager to reach the end, to devour the story, to find out just what would happen to Finn, Claudia, Attia, and Keiro. Is there a way to free the prisoners? Can Era be ended? Would Queen Sia be overthrown? Is Finn really Giles? I read Incarceron about six months ago, I think, and I do not really remember books, so I thought it was great that Fisher made it easy enough to remember what happened in the first book.
Finn is Outside with Claudia and Jared; the Warden (Claudia's father) is Inside with Attia and Keiro (but not in the same place). It's been two months and Finn is still having a difficult time calling up any memories prior to his imprisonment. Relations with the Queen are complicated; she wants to look like she supports Finn and truly believes he is her stepson, but she still thinks her son Caspar should be able to take the throne. Finn is not the ideal prince; he is having a difficult time being at ease with the court and the finery and trappings of luxury. He wants the Portal fixed so he can fulfill his promise to Keiro and Attia. Claudia had expected Finn's memory to return and his fits to end, but neither has happened. She begins to question if Finn is really Giles. With Jared, Claudia is doing her best to repair the damage done to the Portal when the Warden went Inside.
Attia and Keiro are searching for Sapphique's legendary glove, which will give the wearer the ability to Escape. Attia finds it with a magician in a traveling circus and when she steals it from Rix, she discovers her life has just gotten a little more complicated. When the Prison offers to make a deal with whoever has the glove, there's a race between the characters who know of its existence to find the heart of Incarceron to deliver it.
Meanwhile, Jared is offered the opportunity to find a cure for his sickness which would mean betraying Claudia. A Pretender has arrived in court claiming to be the real Giles--and having the ease, courtesy and attitude to carry it off.
The pace of the novel picks up after a fire in the palace and the narration switches between those Outside and those Inside swiftly. The quick pace of the novel leaves the reader eager to find out what happens next, but I felt I missed or didn't fully comprehend everything that I was reading. There are some great surprises (about the Era and Incarceron) in the book and it is a thrilling read right to the end.
The ending does feel a little abrupt; I thought there were going to be three books (it's probably from reading so many trilogies of late) to the story so when I got about two thirds of the way into the book and realized it was going to finish in this book, I was excited. I was a little disappointed at how quickly the book ended, though. I would have liked to see an epilogue or one short chapter taking place a few months later, but I suppose I am picky. The novel ended on some really great imagery though (and I teared up a little at the end).
All in all, Sapphique is a fantastic read. I recommend both books to readers(it will be much easier now to recommend them with both books out) who like action, dystopian fiction, very strong female characters, and not so much romance (but a little). It's an awesome story.

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird

Maggie Blair is a naive girl living with her grandmother on a small island off the coast of Scotland. Maggie's mother died after giving birth to Maggie, and her father died when she was still very young, so she has been living in a tiny cottage with her gruff grandmother ever since. Elspeth knows how to use herbs, is an excellent midwife, and uses charms to help people. Though more often than not, Elspeth ends up cursing people (just to try to scare them) to keep them away. In 17th century Scotland, however, curses and charms can get you accused of being a witch. Which is exactly what happens to Elspeth, and Maggie is swept up along in the imprisonment and trial of her grandmother. A nasty serving girl named Annie give testimony against Maggie, claiming Maggie practices witchcraft as well, which gets Maggie condemned along with her grandmother.
Maggie escapes (I won't tell you how) and manages to get to her father's brother's home on the mainland. Uncle Blair is married with four children, and a wonderful farm. Maggie feels a little out of place at first, but it grateful to have somewhere safe to be. Her uncle is a Covenanter, someone who believes the King of Scotland should not be the head of the church (as the King is in England) and this causes great turmoil in the area. Uncle Blair refuses to attend the village church because the minister has been chosen by the King. I feel that the idea of the Covenanters was not fully explained within the story (there is an afterword but it comes a little late). Uncle Blair believes so strongly in his beliefs that he is arrested and taken from his family (and the family's storeroom is sacked and ruined). Maggie feels guilty as there is so little food left to feed the family and decides to go in search of Uncle Blair. She has a companion on her journey north into Scotland who helps her make the journey. She finds Uncle Blair months later, imprisoned, and does not know how to help him. So she works. Maggie ends up relying on other people to make things happen--it's her grandmother who gets her out of the witch trial, her friend Tam who helps her north to find Uncle Blair, and a soldier to help Uncle Blair get home.
Maggie is constantly questioning her faith and whether or not she will end up going to heaven, should something happen to her during her adventures, and while that is a valid question for Maggie to ask (especially since she was not really raised with religion), when she asks it, the questions seem like afterthoughts, as if the author was reminded, oh, Maggie should be asking about her faith.
I like the adventure part of the story, I like Maggie searching for a new home, I like who she finds along the way, I think that's a clever way for the story to go. However, there is so much to the story, it feels stuffed full of plot, and when the end comes, it is tied up so quickly. I think the ending is a little unrealistic, but I appreciate the positive outcome for the "good" characters and the not so positive ending for the "bad" characters.
The Betrayal of Maggie Blair is an interesting story; Maggie is a naive character (which goes well with the time period the story is written in), the journey part of the story is gripping, and most of the other characters are well drawn. A book for older teen readers (patient older teen readers), Maggie's story is good for those interested in the drama Maggie goes through.

The Crepe Makers' Bond by Julia Crabtree

Ariel, M, and Nicki are best friends beginning eighth grade, excited about the upcoming school year and the time the trio will spend together. The book opens with the three in Ariel's family's kitchen and an earthquake rattles the walls and Ariel counts the changes in their lives from the earthquake, when their easy going friendships changed.
Ariel loves to cook and experiment in the kitchen and between each chapter is a recipe, one of the dishes that Ariel mentions in the story (either something she makes for her family, her friends, or a recipe discussed). While it is unique to the story, it also feels a little gimmicky; sometimes dishes are mentioned just to mention a dish and it does not flow well with the story.
M is on the shy side; her mother is agoraphobic and her parents divorced so M feels she spends a lot of time watching and helping out her mother. M and Ariel have been friends since they were very young, and Nicki only moved into the neighborhood a few years ago.
Nicki is bubbly and the peacemaker and has been distracted an odd of late. Ariel and M try to ask her what is bothering her but Nicki does not like to talk about herself and continually deflects the question. Crabtree does a good job of drawing out the suspense of Nicki's story but when her secret is revealed it is done at the last possible moment, feels rushed and an unimportant part of the story.
Not very long into the school year, M discovers her mother has a new job and they have to move. Ariel and M, to prevent M from leaving, come up with a brilliant idea: M should move in with Ariel's family for the rest of the school year so M can finish middle school with her friends and start fresh at her new high school. Amazingly, both sets of parents agree to this scheme and for the first few days or weeks (the timeline is not very clear) all goes well. Then it's small things that start to bother Ariel, and she confesses that she should have told M the problems to begin with, but does not.
The two finally have it out (leaving poor Nicki in the middle) and the consequences for the friendship are grave. But as most books written for the middle school level, it ends on a positive note for (almost) all the characters.
The Crepe Makers' Bond was a quick read and a good contemporary story; however the voices of the characters felt off, sometimes too old and at other times too young, some of the recipes forced, conclusions a little rushed. I think there will be a very small niche of readers interested in the recipes of the book; I don't know many middle school students who as often as Ariel does. It's a positive story about growing up and the changes that happen in friendships over the years.

Real Live Boyfriends by E. Lockhart

Oh, Ruby.
I was admittedly sad when I heard Real Live Boyfriends is the last Ruby Oliver book, but I loved it and I thought it was fantastic and a great way to end the series.
There is so much more to Ruby than boyfriends (past and present) and panic attacks. The book opens during the summer before Ruby's senior year at Tate Prep. She's dating the wonderful Noel (who is a Real Live Boyfriend; one who listens to her, calls her back, spends time with her, and doesn't make her completely insecure), enjoying spending time with Meghan and Hutch, and just loving summer.
Then things begin to go bad ... her grandmother dies (which sucks and destroys her dad), Noel goes to visit his brother Claude in New York City which he does every summer, but halfway through the trip Noel stops calling or emailing Ruby (and misses her birthday), and Hutch is leaving to spend the semester in Paris (heavy metal Hutch? In Paris?). And while some unexpected events occur (Nora approaches Ruby), the constants of school, working at the zoo, and Doctor Z don't change (nor does Ruby's clashing with her mother).
Noel and Ruby get in an argument (during a college prep class, unfortunately) and the relationship ends. Which makes neither happy, but when Ruby finds out that it's not that Noel doesn't love her, but something else entirely, the relationship gets back on track. Ruby realizes that her relationships with everyone will change in the next few years, going to college has a tendency to do that to people. But Ruby also realizes that she has the ability to deal with that, and if it gets too tough, she has people to help her out. And of course, her lists.
Real Live Boyfriends *Yes, boyfriends, plural. if my life weren't complicated--I wouldn't be Ruby Oliver is a quick read; it's a lot like Louise Rennison's Georgia Nicholson series in that the book focuses on Ruby and her friends but it feels that Ruby learns a little more about herself in her stories than Georgia does in hers. The Ruby Oliver series are the types of books that don't make huge, grand statements about humanity or growing up, but just tell a story about being a teenager and how sometimes it's hard to navigate being a teenager. I love the Ruby Oliver series and though I'm sad it's ended, I know that Ruby's heading in the right direction (even if she doesn't know what direction that is).

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

Amelia is looking forward to a summer in the city of Baltimore, far from her tiny home of Broken Tooth, Maine. Staying with relatives, it is the goal of Amelia's summer to come away engaged to a young man (or such is her brother's goal in sending her there). In 1889, Amelia knows there are few options open to her besides marriage, and so goes with the excitement of a trip before her, and summer away from her father and sister-in-law (her parents being dead).
Amelia finds a great friend in her cousin Zora, who has a bit of a mind for trouble as well. The two finish school and then the real joy of the summer begins; two young women, free from classes, looking forward to their futures.
Zora is excessively fond of Thomas Rea, the doctor's son, and knows that she and Thomas cannot marry until he is finished with school, for he must have a way to support a wife. Amelia is immediately taken with a Fourteenth (a young man hired to make a dinner table sit 14 instead of an unlucky 13), Nathaniel Witherspoon, starving artist. It is not the match Amelia is expected to make. Stolen moments throughout the summer, however, bring the two closer together.
Sounds like just another period young adult romance, no? It's definitely more.
The book opens with Amelia being locked in the attic of her brother's house in Maine in the fall of 1889, after her trip to Baltimore. She reveals dark details of why she has been locked up, why she was sent away from Baltimore, and the agony Amelia is living in, trapped.
Mitchell then flashes back to the summer of 1889 and Amelia's arrival and introduction to the family she will be living with. Witty remarks endear Amelia to Zora immediately, and not long after Amelia arrives, she has the strangest vision as she stares into the sunset from the parlor, a vision of Zora & Thomas dancing together. When this comes true, Amelia confesses to Zora and the two begin sharing Amelia's abilities with their friends. Once the word spreads, a number of young women are clamoring for Amelia to tell their futures.
It's fun, at first, but then Amelia begins to see darker futures, mundane futures, and when she starts writing down what she sees, she dreads the visions. Once, she thinks she is able to avert tragedy, but it can never be so easy as that, as Amelia reminds us when she cuts back in from the present.
Nathaniel is not quite what he seems either, able to seemingly suddenly appear when Amelia thinks of him, calls to him. He is mysterious and entirely inappropriate for her, but the two appeal to each other more than either can explain.
When the first tragedy strikes, Amelia is shocked, as it's a future she thought she had prevented. The trouble is, Amelia could not see how this one future plays into the rest of the futures surrounding her and her world begins to tumble down. The sad events happen quickly and discover why Amelia is sent home.
The story, beginning with Amelia in Maine after the events have taken place, leave the reader constantly wondering just what happened to have her returned home, and ruined. It is an easy story to read, one that keeps the reader intrigued and involved, and the sad Gothic nature of it make the reader wish for a happy ending. A different than expected ending occurs, one that works well with my reading tastes. All in all, The Vespertine is a book I would recommend to young adult readers who like historical fiction and a bit of supernatural. It reminded me a little of Libba Bray's A Great & Terrible Beauty, but The Vespertine does not delve as much into the supernatural world as Bray's trilogy. A worthwhile story that leaves the reader with chills.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Due out in February 2011, Lauren Oliver's Delirium is Ally Condie's Matched mixed with Scott Westerfeld's Uglies. Being a fan of both those books, I am a fan of Oliver's Delirium as well.
In Lena's gated city of Portland, love is a disease, one for which there is a cure, and you must be 18 before you can have the cure. Lena is closing in on her 18th birthday (95 days, she tells herself), prepared to be free from the worries of love--after all, it took her mother. Lena's mother had the procedure 3 times and each time it failed and when the regulators came to take her for the 4th time, she killed herself instead. Lena's father died when she was just a baby, so from 6 years old on, Lena lived with her aunt and uncle, trying to live down the fact that her mother had the disease and had it so badly she was willing to take her own life.
Love is even given a scientific, scary name: amor deliria nervosa, and Lena is as frightened of it as she is about everything else. Her best friend Hana is outgoing, vivacious, beautiful, and only recently beginning to show signs that she is not looking forward to her cure. Knowing the cure will change both girls so much that they will not have the same deep abiding affection for each once they have the cure, Lena still longs for it. The end of their friendship is coming and that makes for arguments and awkward conversations.
Lena meets a boy (as always) who is so different from other boys. He has been cured, so it is all right for Lena to spend some time with him. He reveals a secret that Lena is not prepared for and runs from him, only to realize that she can't stay away, doesn't want to stay away from him. Alex opens her eyes to the world beyond Portland's borders, the forbidden Wilds, where the Invalids live (the people who refuse to have the cure), to thinking beyond what she's always blindly accepted, to realize that so much of her life has included lies.
Delirium is a compelling story, swiftly paced (especially towards the end), prodding readers to not so blindly accept everything they're told, but to look into the truth, to learn for themselves. Oliver does a great job of showing how a friendship can change and deteriorate after so many years of friendship, that it's part of growing up and coming to terms with who each of you are. I really appreciated that about the story, as it's something that happens frequently to teenagers of that age, about to embark on a new part of life. Oliver's writing is natural, and Lena's distress and restlessness grow with her new found understanding of the society she lives in. The book is definitely left open for a sequel, and I hope Oliver writes one. (And I hope that something that appears very bad is not bad in the sequel, but I think I'm dreaming.) Definitely enjoyed the book, but then I'm a fan of the dystopia/awkward future genre.
Delirium is set to be released February 1, 2011.

Blameless by Gail Carriger

Book three of the Parasol Protectorate (and that term is finally used in the book, hee!) finds Alexia back with her mother, stepfather, and half-sisters. And fairly miserable. After being cast out by Conall once he discovered she was pregnant, Alexia made her way back to Woolsey Castle, packed her things, and removed herself to her past home. The bosom of her family is not very happy to see her back, blaming Alexia for Evy's failed engagement.
So with the trusty Floote and Madame Lefoux, Alexia escapes her family (and the vampires trying to kill her) for the Continent. Her goal is not only to get away from her family and society (even Queen Victoria has cast her out; Alexia is no longer muhjah, as Queen Victoria respects family greatly and the rumor that Alexia strayed outside of her marriage is not looked upon kindly by the Queen), but to prove to her very stubborn husband that he is in fact the father, so that Alexia will be discovered to be Blameless.
They are heading to Italy, where Alexia's father is from, also home to the Knights Templar the group that does not tolerate ANY supernatural being. So when Alexia arrives in Italy with Floote and Madame Lefoux, the Templars are kind enough to save them from the pursuing vampires, but Alexia soon discovers they will have nothing to do with her--won't speak to her, won't look at her, won't touch anything she has touched (in fact it all has to be destroyed). Floote is immeasurably helpful, having worked with Alexia's father and the Templars for years. Floote, as always, knows more than he's telling Alexia.
It takes Alexia awhile to come to terms with the Infant Inconvenience (as Alexia has taken to calling the baby); she never thought she was going to have a baby, especially once she married a werewolf, and the fact that the baby has separated her and Conall makes her look less kindly on it. But when she discovers that being a preternatural means she most likely won't carry the baby to term (preternaturals are repulsed from each other, like two magnets and there have been no records of a female preternatural carrying a baby to term), she begins to get a little discouraged, though still determined to prove Conall wrong.
But a funny little German, Dr. Lange-Wilsdorf, may have discovered the baby has a chance and also why the vampires are so desperate to have Alexia terminated.
Blameless is the most action-filled book so far, with werewolves fighting vampires and Templars and little bits of Alexia's father's history being revealed, and the relationship between Conall and Professor Lyall (one of the best characters by far), the severed hand the Templars keep in case of emergency, and Alexia being used as bait, plus everything else I'm leaving out (Ivy, Biffy, Lord Akeldama). Wonderful fun. Ends nicely, but also ends the reader wanting more and the next book is not due to be published until July 2011. Blast!

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

I was not overly keen on reading Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick--it is another YA supernatural/paranormal romance, and having read the first three Stephenie Meyer Twilight books, I have had my fill. But a friend recommended it (and I got her to read The Hunger Games trilogy, which she loved) and went so far as to loan me her copy of it, so I read it (while on vacation without any other books to tempt me).
It opens with high school sophomore Nora, living alone with her mom (her father died about a year ago), best friend Vee, and sudden new classmate, Patch.
Oh, the mysterious dark male student. Nora is determined to not get involved with boys, wanting to get out of high school and on to college and no guy is good enough for her. But Patch, suddenly her new biology lab partner, draws her in and tempts Nora to do things Nora would not do before. Nora's the safe girl, the well behaved girl, but Patch is the dangerous one, hanging out in pool halls, riding motorcycles. He feels wrong for her but she can't keep away.
Well it comes out that Patch is a fallen angel (there's the paranormal bit). I admit I was a little skeptical when I first started to read: girl in school, slightly loner-ish, absent parents, meets dark mysterious boy with a secret, turns our to be supernatural, girl is constantly in peril ... it was reading a lot like Twilight. Though I appreciate the story Stephenie Meyer is trying to tell in Twilight (and the other books) I can't freaking stand Bella and all the books are filtered through Bella (I think that's why I find the storyline more interesting in the movies).
Becca Fitzpatrick is a better writer than Stephenie Meyer. I like Nora. I think Nora is well developed and Patch was more developed at the end of the book. Vee could use a little more of the storyline (but that's because I like her), more of the fallen angel stuff could be revealed (as I'm sure it will be in the next books), but overall, I'm intrigued to read the next book and the first thing I did when I finished Hush, Hush was put Crescendo on hold at my local library. Which is saying a lot compared to dreading reading the next book in the Twilight saga (I still have to read Breaking Dawn, and want to read it to get it over with, but am not looking forward to it). The pace of Hush, Hush picks up towards the end and there are some moments of suspense that make you want to keep turning the pages. I liked it. I liked it enough to want to read the second one, which is pretty good for me.
Overall, I recommend Hush, Hush, especially if you're a fan of the supernatural romance bit. It's a light fluffy read, perfect escapist literature.

Changeless by Gail Carriger

The second book in the Parasol Protectorate series (the first being Soulless), Carriger's Changeless brings us to Woolsey Castle, home to Lord and Lady Maccon (the former Miss Alexia Tarabotti). Alexia has become accustomed to keeping werewolf hours and content in her marriage to Conall and her work as Queen Victoria's muhjah (the preternatural serving on the Shadow Council who works with the Dewan [the loner werewolf representative] and the Potentate [the rove vampire representative] to advise the Queen on matters supernatural).
She is not happy, however, to find a regiment camped on her front lawn, but seeing as a number of the soldiers are werewolves, they come to stay in Woolsey Castle (where the werewolves will reside) as a troop before dispersing. One of the soldiers, a rather presumptuous young man, makes a poor impression on Alexia--without realizing she is the new Lady Maccon. Much to Alexia's dismay, Channing Channing of the Chesterfield Channings is Woolsey Pack's Gamma.
Never a dull moment for Alexia, Conall runs off to Scotland to deal with his old pack--now Alpha-less after the death of one of the soldiers. Of course, mystery abounds and strangely in certain areas supernaturals suddenly turn mortal. Whatever is causing this strange happenstances is on the move--to Scotland, where Conall has gone. To save her husband (from what, she's not sure) Alexia follows him to Scotland--with Conall's claviger Tunstell, Alexia's maid Angelique, Alexia's sister Felicity (sour because other sister Evelyn is engaged), engaged friend Ivy (still smitten with Tunstell and jealous of Felicity's attentions to him), and inventor and new acquaintance Madame Lefoux (though her appearance is strictly coincidence).
After a few sticky moments on the dirigible to Scotland (Alexia hanging off the side of it, but no bother), the large party lands in Scotland and makes its way to Kingair Castle, where Conall is. To be welcomed (sort of) by Conall's great-something-granddaughter. Which is news to Alexia. The soldiers of the Kingair Pack are in residence as well, and more strange happenings occur while there. Much of the trouble stems from a mummy the soldiers brought back from Egypt, something Alexia is repulsed by (for interesting reasons). Since the Kingair Pack is Alpha-less, and Conall has returned, but not to be Kingair's Alpha, there is a great deal of trouble about that as well.
The problems are solved, of course, the day is saved, those trying to murder Alexia are thwarted (for now), and all is right once more. Until it is discovered Alexia is pregnant and Conall--being mostly dead--knows he cannot be the father and casts Alexia off.
Oh dear.
Fantastic storytelling. As I said with the first one, I did not think I would like these books, being not much into the supernatural scene, but the best part of the Parasol Protectorate books is that the supernatural are everyday, so it doesn't bother me much. Alexia is a phenomenal heroine (I love her curvyness, her attitude, her determination, her independence!), Conall is gruff and wonderful, Ivy is dopey and brilliant, Tunstell humorous, Floote humorless, and Madame Lefoux and intriguing character. The slant on history is great, the storytelling great. The books are just a whole lot of fun.

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

The author of The Luxe series has begun a new series set about 30 years later. Bright Young Things opens in late spring of 1929, when best friends Letty and Cordelia have finished the school year and are ready for new adventures in the world. While their guardians may have plans for them, the girls have different ideas. Living with her strict aunt and uncle, Cordelia is convinced her father is the famous bootlegger Darius Grey who currently resides in New York. Letty wants to be a singer and knows New York is the place to be. So the two sneak out of their Union, Ohio town and take an eastbound train to New York City.
Everything, of course, does not go according to plan. Barely a full day in New York and Letty and Cordelia get in an argument and the two separate, Cordelia to find her father and Letty left to be alone and fend for herself.
Letty is not left alone long, thanks to a worker at the speakeasy she just visited and so Letty gets a job as a cigarette girl. Cordelia does find her father and is quickly (and easily) accepted into the family fold, which includes older brother Charlie, who is dating socialite Astrid Donal.
Astrid, whose mother is on her third marriage, is a privileged young woman who stays out all night and sleeps til noon and uses her charms (and pouts) to get Charlie to do what she wants. She really does love Charlie (so she claims) and it's a very tense relationship with a many break ups and reconciliations but they do care about each other. Astrid takes to Cordelia right away and Cordelia is pleased to have a new friend, since she doesn't know what has happened to Letty.
Letty is getting along all right and has met a very kind young man, Grady Lodge, who takes her out and shows her the city. Letty also acquires Good Egg, a greyhound whose racing days are over. When Cordelia and a young man she meets (and is expressly asked not to spend time with) return to the club where Letty works as a cigarette girl, Letty can't stand the idea of not being a success as Cordelia is in her new clothes and with her posh gentleman friend. So Letty gets up on stage and belts out a song but before she and Cordelia can be reunited, Cordelia is whisked away.
What I found predictable about this book are the bad turns of events that were so obvious to me (and perhaps it has to do with reading Godbersen's Luxe series and knowing there's always going to be something to bring the story down) that I just wanted her to get to that point. I will say it ended on a better note than some of The Luxe novels, so I'm hoping this series might have a better ending than the other one. I can't help it, I like happy(-ish) endings. I didn't think Bright Young Things was as engrossing as The Luxe books, but I don't doubt that the story will pick up in the next title (as I'm sure there will be a next title as there are too many loose threads to end the book just as it is, not to mention the impending collapse of the stock market in October of 1929). Though I wasn't as hooked as with previous Godbersen books, she can certainly tell a story that teenage girls will love to read.