Sample Review | LORE by Alexandra Bracken

LORE by Alexandra Bracken
Publication: January 5, 2021
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Genre: YA / Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★★

HER NAME WILL BE LEGEND.

Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality.

Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family’s sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt’s promises of eternal glory. For years she’s pushed away any thought of revenge against the man–now a god–responsible for their deaths. Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods. The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore’s decision to bind her fate to Athena’s and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost–and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees. -Publisher

LORE is a tale worth witnessing.

In New York, the hunters are converging to hunt the Greek gods of old. Thousands of years ago, nine have staged a failed revolution against Zeus. As punishment, Zeus created the Agon, a hunt. Every seven years, these gods will fight in their mortal vessels and hunted down as prey to any ancient hero’s descendant. The successful hunter will ascend to immortality, gaining the slain god’s power.

Lore, orphaned, and hurting, was sought out by a wounded Athena to face her destiny. She spent years trying to avoid the hunt. She wants out. But Lore also wants revenge.

Okay, it sounds like the Hunger Games for the gods. Yes and no. Winning the hunt and gaining power is not the end. There are more at stake. Alexandra Bracken cleverly created new mythology from the backbone of ancient Greek and carefully slipped in issues that affect the world today –capitalism, social injustices, and morality. I feel a current moving thru these pages, pivoting on a complex plot and intriguing characters. Readers will want answers, and I cannot wait to start my 2021 reading year witnessing this book’s ascent.

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About the Author:

Alexandra Bracken was born in Phoenix, Arizona. The daughter of a Star Wars collector, she grew up going to an endless string of Star Wars conventions and toy fairs, which helped spark her imagination and a deep love of reading. After graduating high school, she attended The College of William & Mary in Virginia, where she double majored in English and History. She sold her first book, Brightly Woven, as a senior in college, and later moved to New York City to work in children's book publishing, first as an editorial assistant, then in marketing. After six years, she took the plunge and decided to write full time. She now lives in Arizona with her tiny pup, Tennyson, in a house that's constantly overflowing with books.

Alex is a #1 New York Times bestselling and USA TODAY bestselling author. Her work is available across the world in over 15 languages.

*Thanks to Disney Hyperion for the advance book excerpt in exchange for this unbiased review.
*This post is a part of the monthly linkups organized by Lovely Audiobooks! You can click here to check it out and be a part of it.

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Book Review | WINDSWEPT by Gwen Cole

   

Windswept by Gwen Cole
Publication: July 21, 2020
Publisher: Sky Pony
Genre: Fantasy / YA Fiction
Rating: ★★★★

Every day, Sam endures the same subway ride on her way to school, but when she meets a boy named Reid, suddenly her daily commute isn’t so ordinary. Reid has the ability to teleport—or, drift, as he calls it—and for the first time, Sam has the opportunity to travel anywhere without a passport or plane ticket.

But as their two worlds come together, Sam discovers her family had been keeping secrets from her, and meeting Reid was just the beginning of unraveling the truth. When drifters begin to disappear, Sam has no choice but to face the threat when she finds out her family is among the missing.

As Reid and Sam start their search for the missing drifters, help comes from the most unexpected of places. After a significant breakthrough, Reid is taken, and Sam finds herself alone in a world she knows nothing about. With the enemy closing in, she soon realizes she’s the only person who can save them all.- Goodreads

Readers who are tired of the commonly chosen one trope, like Katniss or Tris, will likely weigh up and skip this book. Pleasantly, Gwen Cole handled the “only person who can save them all” part, as the book blurb said, in a clever way. Both Sam and Reid have personalities befitting teenagers who have room to change and does not make some cliché choices.

And besides the “oh so” cute teenage romance, there is a certain element that separates WINDSWEPT from the rest of Jumper-ish stories. These people have fleshed out as vulnerable, flawed, and troubled creatures. Not untouchable, god-like beings, which are able to jump from one place to another without care or consequence. Absolutely no world meltdown.

Although the author has the opportunity to stretch out the mystery and explore more of the drifters’ history, it is refreshing that this is a quick read ending on a high note. A YA fantasy that readers shouldn't miss. I recommend.

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About the Author:

Gwen Cole is an award-winning author of Cold Summer and Ride On. She grew up in northern New York and after moving to Virginia, she met her husband while playing in a hardcore band. When she’s not writing, you can find her playing Xbox, skiing in the winter, playing softball in the summer, and always watching too much Netflix. She now lives in Richmond, Virginia with her family, always longing for colder winters.

*Thanks to Sky Pony and Edelweiss for the galley in exchange for this unbiased review.
*This post is a part of the monthly linkups organized by Lovely Audiobooks! You can click here to check it out and be a part of it.

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Sampler Review | IGNITING DARKNESS by Robin LaFevers

Igniting Darkness by Robin LaFevers
Publication: August 4, 2020
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 
      for Young Readers
Genre: Historical Fantasy / YA Fiction
Rating: ★★★★

When you count Death as a friend, who can stand as your enemy?

Sybella, a novitiate of the convent of Saint Mortain and Death’s vengeance on earth, is still reeling from her God’s own passing, and along with him a guiding hand in her bloody work. But with her sisters on the run from their evil brother and under the watchful eye of her one true friend (and love) at court, the soldier known as Beast, Sybella stands alone as the Duchess of Brittany’s protector.

After months of seeking her out, Sybella has finally made contact with a fellow novitiate of the convent, Genevieve, a mole in the French court. But when Genevieve mistakenly draws the attention of the French king to the convent of Saint Mortain and its deadly arts, she may do her sisters (and herself) more harm than good. Sybella, having already drawn the ire of the French regent, may not be able to depend on her sister and ally as much as she hoped. Still, Death always finds a way, even if it’s not what one expects.

No one can be trusted and the wolves are always waiting in this thrilling conclusion to the Courting Darkness duology, set in the world of Robin’s beloved His Fair Assassins trilogy. -Goodreads

The book started exactly where COURTING DARKNESS left off. I am glad that it did not miss a beat. The first book left a lot of questions and some disturbing events that want immediate answers. And as much as I am grateful for this sampler, I am in great anticipation to read the full book.

I rarely like multiple narrators, but this book made it so intriguing, I cannot wait whose voice will come next every time. And there is a very welcome addition to these voices here that I am sure other readers will be excited to read too.

There is no doubt IGNITING DARKNESS is an electrifying conclusion to this much-awaited historical fantasy duology.

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About the Author:

ROBIN LAFEVERS is the New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed His Fair Assassin trilogy—GRAVE MERCY, DARK TRIUMPH, and MORTAL HEART and the companion duology COURTING DARKNESS and IGNITING DARKNESS (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, June 2020). Her books have received multiple starred reviews, have been selected as best books of the year by Booklist, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews; and been nominated for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature. Writing as R.L. LaFevers, she is also the author of the THEODOSIA and NATHANIEL FLUDD, BEASTOLOGIST series. Though Robin has never trained as an assassin or joined a convent, she has been on a search for answers to life’s mysteries for as long as she can remember. She finds them mostly in books.

*Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Netgalley for the sampler in exchange for this unbiased review.
*This post is a part of the monthly linkups organized by Lovely Audiobooks! You can click here to check it out and be a part of it.

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Pay the Piper (A Rock 'n' Roll Fairy Tale #1) by Jane Yolen, Adam Stemple

   

Pay the Piper by Jane Yolen, Adam Stemple
Publication: June 27, 2006
Publisher: Starscape
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★

A rock 'n' roll band to die for . . .

When fourteen-year-old Callie McCallan scores a backstage pass to interview the lead singer of the famous band Brass Rat, she's thrilled. Peter Gringras is so cool. When he plays his flute, it's as if he has some kind of hypnotic power. But there is something strange about him, something Callie can't quite put her finger on. Then, on Halloween night, Callie's little brother Nicky disappears, along with all the other children in town. It's crazy, but Callie thinks she knows where the children have gone--and who took them. To prove it, and to rescue Nicky and the other children, Callie must journey to a mythical world filled with fantastical creatures. A world from which there may be no return. . .

On the 26th of June 1284, “came a colorful piper to Hamelin and led 130 children away…”

More interesting, of course, is the why of it all. And so, many tales have stemmed from this brief account. Tales that had been weaved and threaded to give reason to these unfathomable bare facts. I’m sure you’ve heard or read some of them. Still, there is no harm in giving way to one more, right? This time, however, the Piper came to Northampton, Massachusetts. Now the question is, “Who will pay the Piper this time?”

A striving school journalist and self-conscious middle child, Callie, might have the answer.

The title caught my attention instantly. It is undeniably very intriguing- A Rock ‘n’ Roll Fairytale. I love retellings. I love it whenever folklores and fairytales are given new twists and different endings. I love it when they come with new diverse heroes, because (as one would expect) it’s the complications that give retellings new life. This is a coming-of-age book that shows children the value of family, responsibility, love, and sacrifices with a very modern approach. Even for children, this is definitely a short and enjoyable read.

And by the way, we, middle children (ahem) absolutely rock.

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About the Authors:

Jane Yolen is a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who has written more than three hundred books. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born and raised in New York City, the mother of three and the grandmother of six, Yolen lives in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.

I am a professional writer, poet, musician, web designer, and poker player, as well as an amateur artist, youth soccer coach, and skilled pinball player. In the past, I have worked in a warehouse, picked vegetables for two bucks an hour, rehabbed houses, golfed (poorly), traded options, arranged music for children’s books, got married, and raised two mostly grown children. - Adam Stemple

*Photos and profiles were grabbed from authors' Goodreads and blog sites. No infringement was intended.

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PAPER TOWNS by John Green | Book Review

   

Paper Towns by John Green
Publication Date: October 16, 2008
Publisher: Dutton
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Rating: ★★★★

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificent Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life—summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows. When their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Margo has disappeared. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they’re for him. Embarking on an exhilarating adventure to find her, the closer Q gets, the less he sees the girl he thought he knew. - Goodreads

"It's so hard to leave-until you leave.
And then it is the easiest goddamned thing in the world...
Leaving feels too good, once you leave."

We all leave eventually. No matter who and what we are, or where we’re from, we will someday and somehow leave our comfort zones or the norm of our lives to find ourselves a place in this world. Some people take their time into actually doing it. They spent much time planning and scheming on how they should gloriously plow into life. Some tried a few times before succeeding, by accepting that their heavy butts are beginning to be a burden to their family and to the economy.

Then, others are used to having things come to them in a rush; and when it’s not fast enough they go for it instead… Such is Margo Roth Spiegelman and many other teenagers out there who cannot wait to be themselves without the restriction of the norm. My dear nephew, Jaff, calls it emancipation. This is perfectly normal; it’s a matter of how they are properly motivated and inspired. They should be equipped, so as not to become scattered dandelions, gliding aimlessly waiting where the wind will blow them. Unfortunately for Margo, she has uninspired parents to motivate her. They are like the paper cut-outs Margo described, who boxed themselves inside this very peculiar thing called normal life. They regard Margo's actions as rebellion.

"It is easy to forget how full the world is of people, full to bursting,
and each of them imaginable and consistently misimagined."

Margo, on the other hand, sees life as a colorful journey filled with dark abandoned buildings, knee-high grasses, endless road, moonlit roof, and plenty of exhilarating risks. But all this is unknown to her family and friends. All her life, she has coated herself with a shell of Margo Stuff- the cool ones. It then became difficult for her to remove her coating and be herself. So the only option is to leave it all behind. But there is still one string attached to this papergirl – Quentin Jacobsen. She wants Q to know her; understand her; love her for who she is inside, no matter how crooked and unreasonable that Margo may be.

"The way I figure it, everyone gets a miracle.”

Q braved the challenge- he took the journey and accepted the would be consequences of it. Little did he know that this journey will not only lead him to Margo but discover the Margo hiding within too. Thus, making him aware of his own capabilities and weaknesses. Knowing that he will succeed in finding his place in the world someday soon. And maybe, just maybe, he’ll find Margo there as well.

This book gets you to think about the idea of a person and the actual being of a person. Because, of course, it is rather unfair to be thought of as (just) a mere idea. My favorite part is the Vessel. It made me laugh out loud listening to Ben’s pissing-in-beer-bottle scene. I had fun with this; I do hope you will too.

The audiobook narration was brilliantly performed by Dan John Miller for Brilliance Audio.


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About the Author:

John Green's first novel, Looking for Alaska, won the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award presented by the American Library Association. His second novel, An Abundance of Katherines, was a 2007 Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His next novel, Paper Towns, is a New York Times bestseller and won the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best YA Mystery. In January 2012, his most recent novel, The Fault in Our Stars, was met with wide critical acclaim, unprecedented in Green's career. The praise included rave reviews in Time Magazine and The New York Times, on NPR, and from award-winning author Markus Zusak. The book also topped the New York Times Children's Paperback Bestseller list for several weeks. Green has also coauthored a book with David Levithan called Will Grayson, Will Grayson, published in 2010. The film rights for all his books, with the exception of Will Grayson Will Grayson, have been optioned to major Hollywood Studios.

In 2007, John and his brother Hank were the hosts of a popular internet blog, "Brotherhood 2.0," where they discussed their lives, books and current events every day for a year except for weekends and holidays. They still keep a video blog, now called "The Vlog Brothers," which can be found on the Nerdfighters website.

*Originally posted here.

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THE BOOK OF LOST THINGS by John Connolly

   

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
Publication: October 16, 2007
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★★

High in his attic bedroom, twelve-year-old David mourns the death of his mother, with only the books on his shelf for company. But those books have begun to whisper to him in the darkness. Angry and alone, he takes refuge in his imagination and soon finds that reality and fantasy have begun to meld. While his family falls apart around him, David is violently propelled into a world that is a strange reflection of his own -- populated by heroes and monsters and ruled by a faded king who keeps his secrets in a mysterious book, The Book of Lost Things.

Taking readers on a vivid journey through the loss of innocence into adulthood and beyond, New York Times bestselling author John Connolly tells a dark and compelling tale that reminds us of the enduring power of stories in our lives.

...

David was conquered by grief and jealousy due his father’s newly-found family (Rose and Georgie), and because of his mother’s untimely death. It proves that anguish and loneliness can sometimes poison even a child’s heart. Later, he can hear the books whisper to him, then soon, seizures began to attack him which baffled the doctors of its cause. But The Crooked Man can bring back everything he had lost… for a bargain.

. . . For a lifetime was but a moment in that place, and each man dreams his own heaven.
And in the darkness, David closed his eyes, as all that was lost was found again.”

I love the poetic tone of the story. It pulled me in and kept me reading despite the sad things happening along the way. It's interesting when twists were added to fairytales we grew up with. This is a dark tale of one boy's inner turmoil and descent to despondency. Also, a message of how powerful stories can be in children's lives. I adore John Connolly for this brilliant book!

About the Author:

John Connolly was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1968 and has, at various points in his life, worked as a journalist, a barman, a local government official, a waiter and a dogsbody at Harrods department store in London. (A dogsbody, for our North American friends, is a 'go-fer'.) He studied English at Trinity College, Dublin, and journalism at Dublin City University, subsequently spending five years working as a freelance journalist for The Irish Times newspaper. He divides his time between Dublin and Portland, Maine; makes regular donations to the wine industry; and keeps several dogs in a remarkable degree of comfort.

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Book Review | LOST AND FOUND by Orson Scott Card

September 10, 2019,
Blackstone Publishing

Master storyteller Orson Scott Card delivers a touching and funny, compelling and smart novel about growing up, harnessing your potential, and finding your place in the world, no matter how old you are. - Goodreads

Orson Scott Card is a staple name in the Science Fiction and Fantasy arena. He is a diverse writer who captured both the adult and younger audiences.

I’m not here to review OSC as a writer. I’m stating all this because he is more than justified in writing LOST AND FOUND. I understand that it’s not an Ender’s book –no space battles, no aliens. And I totally get why he low-keyed the characters as micropots (people with micropowers). He literally dragged us away from admiring superheroes into looking deeper at the most probable, odds-on, overlooked human gifts.

Ezekiel had been ostracized as a thief since grade school because of his gift to recognize lost things and the compulsion to return them to the owners without a credible reason. And he has a standing mistrust of the Police Force after his many heated brushes with them. But his trudge on anti-social life was halted when Beth decided to walk with him to and from school every day and when a desperate (but broad-minded) detective asked his help to find a missing girl.

“It means that I trust you and you can trust me. It means that if something goes wrong for you I help as much as I can. It means that if you’re not where you’re expected, I look for you. It means that if good stuff happens I’m happy for you. It means that no matter what you say to me I still care about you. It means that when nobody else will tell you shit that you have to know, even if you’ll hate hearing it, I’m the one to say it."

I love the snarky dialogues Card employed. It helps in many ways to soften the hard subjects of the story (kidnapping, white slavery, death, etc.) And the pacing of the story was apposite, it enables to both pad out the characters and ties concepts together. The whole book is replete of wisdom in understanding family, people, and what works from what doesn’t. It simply says that everybody may look ordinary or nonspecial until they are not. The last 15% of the book sort of slowed down for me (maybe there’s a sequel in the works) and there are some descriptive terms I may not agree with, but overall this book is legitimately remarkable.

Book details:

Title: Lost and Found

Author: Orson Scott Card

Publication: September 10, 2019, by Blackstone Publishing

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Rating: ★★★★

*Thank you, Blackstone and Edelweiss for the DRC in exchange for this unbiased review.

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Book Review | SELECT FEW by Marit Weisenberg

09 Oct 2018
Charlesbridge Teen

This 2^nd book in the Select series offers more than the first book. If you’ve read my review for Select, you know what I mean.

Julia went her separate way the night her family disappeared while keeping her boyfriend John’s abilities from out of her family’s radar, and dodging the FBI, who believes Julia can lead them to Novak.

Aside from the tension between them, Julia and John decided to go their separate ways for John’s safety and health. She and Angus reunited to hunt down her birth mother in California. Along the way, she learned some new details about herself, their race, and, how may be, they are not the only race evolving.

For all YA fans out there, all the trending YA elements are still present in this installment. But I’m happier that Ms. Weisenberg pursued the "Chachapuris perspective" more now. Also, all the major characters are back. I’m sorry that Julia and John’s relationship was not romanticized more, as expected by most YA readers. Although, I really don’t think that’s what the author is really gunning for this series. So, we all should hang tight and see how these all fuse together.

Book detail:

Title:  Select Few

Author:  Marit Weisenberg

Publication:  October 9, 2018, by Charlesbridge Teen

Genre:  YA Fiction

Rating: ★★★

*Thanks to Charlesbridge and Netgalley for the galley in exchange for this unbiased review.

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Book Review | HERO AT THE FALL by Alwyn Hamilton

March 6th, 2018
 Viking Books for Young Readers

The breathless finale to the New York Times bestselling Rebel of the Sands series will have you on the edge of your seat until the dust from the final battle clears!

When gunslinging Amani Al'Hiza escaped her dead-end town, she never imagined she'd join a revolution, let alone lead one. But after the bloodthirsty Sultan of Miraji imprisoned the Rebel Prince Ahmed in the mythical city of Eremot, she doesn't have a choice. Armed with only her revolver, her wits, and her untameable Demdji powers, Amani must rally her skeleton crew of rebels for a rescue mission through the unforgiving desert to a place that, according to maps, doesn't exist. As she watches those she loves most lay their lives on the line against ghouls and enemy soldiers, Amani questions whether she can be the leader they need or if she is leading them all to their deaths.

I fall into a habit of reading sequels so far apart, sometimes I have to go back to my notes for references. The longest on record was eight years before I read the sequel. REBEL OF THE SANDS (Book #1) was one of the best books I read in April of last year. That’s why I was so happy that TFG’s genre for February was Fantasy, allowing me to finish the next two books in the trilogy in quick succession. (Yay, self!)

HERO AT THE FALL started where TRAITOR TO THE THRONE left off. Like the first two books, there is no downtime or slacking moments here, everything moved along fluidly. It’s my heart, actually, that needed keeping up. Highlights and action sequences were both given ample emphasis. I really admire how Amani and Jin’s relationship, incredible as it is, never overshadowed the storyline.

Since we are in the subject of relationship, I like how the characters meld together, while holding on to their identities and intended purpose. They were all developed nicely, good or bad, they were very convincing. Amani, indeed, came a long way – a rebellious young girl who wanted to escape out, into a fully-realized rebel fighting for the survival of her world.

And yes, heroes do fall along the way. I knew that I was really deep into the series, when I held onto every page of the book, fearing that the next page may be another goodbye for a character. Miss Hamilton is no fickle in killing off characters. Maybe, she’s related to GRRM? It made this series even more compelling because I held onto the notion that their death will not be for naught... that there will be a very rewarding ending. Overly dramatic? Of course, this series can turn any reader into one. We are speaking of Djinn and Demdji powers here.

And lastly, I am in awe of the worldbuilding. The seamless mapping of the place was so vivid. I never imagined falling for an imagined world, but I did fell for Miraji and its people. I even fell for Dustwalk, that remote town at the end of the desert. Did I mention Djinn and Demdji powers?

Stories. Some stories turn into legends. In some, details were impregnated as they were told along, down generations. But that is how stories endure. These stories will remain with me for a long time. Someday, I may have to reread them.

Congratulations, Alwyn Hamilton. Job well done.

*BTW, Is it just me? 'Cause I really want to see a graphic version of this series. I want to see all the characters in their various glorious colors.

Book details:

Title: Hero at the Fall
Author: Alwyn Hamilton
Publication: March 6th, 2018
                       Viking Books for Young Readers
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Rating: ★★★★★

Rebel of the Sands series:
#1 Rebel of the Sands
#2 Traitor to the Throne
#3 Hero at the Fall

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Book Review | NEANDERTHAL OPENS THE DOOR TO THE UNIVERSE by Preston Norton

   

June 5, 2018
Disney Hyperion

Cliff Hubbard is a huge loser. Literally. His nickname at Happy Valley High School is Neanderthal because he's so enormous-6'6" and 250 pounds to be exact. He has no one at school and life in his trailer park home has gone from bad to worse ever since his older brother's suicide.

There's no one Cliff hates more than the nauseatingly cool quarterback, Aaron Zimmerman. Then Aaron returns to school after a near-death experience with a bizarre claim: while he was unconscious he saw God, who gave him a list of things to do to make Happy Valley High suck less. And God said there's only one person who can help: Neanderthal.

To his own surprise, Cliff says he's in. As he and Aaron make their way through the List, which involves a vindictive English teacher, a mysterious computer hacker, a decidedly unchristian cult of Jesus Teens, the local drug dealers, and the meanest bully at HVHS--Cliff feels like he's part of something for the first time since losing his brother. But fixing a broken school isn't as simple as it seems, and just when Cliff thinks they've completed the List, he realizes their mission hits closer to home than he ever imagined.

NEANDERTHAL OPENS THE DOOR TO THE UNIVERSE covers plenty of components prevailing high school dramas nowadays. It will pull you in different directions. But high school is not a high school without its dramas. And I love how Preston Norton held it all together and accomplished a profound deliberation. He pulled no punches and they all connected. There are plenty of raw emotions, and I truly believe many will benefit from reading this, whether they believe in God, or not.

Cliff is such a remarkable character. Neanderthal. Everything about him is huge, including his compassionate heart and quick-witted brain. There is balance in him (Luke Skywalker would be so proud) not many people notice. But there is also pain and guilt in him. Many times I wanted to hug this giant and tell him that his heart is in the right place.

This book is amazingly moving and funny. I may have snuffled and snickered in some places, both at the same time. I spent highlighting several passages; I cannot get enough of Norton’s wit. He assembled an array of curious characters and addressed vital issues, BIAS foremost among them. A big issue comprised of many things, making life unbearable for most people, especially for our youth.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. For the sensitive folks, be advised that there is plenty of swearing. But also know that life isn’t real without them.

We're all gonna die. And we only have so many fucks we can give in a lifetime.
So give a fuck about the things that matter most.

Book details:

Title: Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe 

Author:  Preston Norton

Publication:  Disney Hyperion; June 5, 2018

Genre:  Young Adult

Rating: ★★★★★

*Thank you Disney Hyperion and Netgalley for the DRC, in exchange for this unbiased review.
*Contains quote from an uncorrected galley proof.

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Book Review | SELECT by Marit Weisenberg

October 3, 2017
Charlesbridge Teen

“It had always been a fact of life that we were biologically different—better—and that it had to be kept secret.”  

Seventeen-year-old Julia Jaynes has the perfect life. She’s beautiful, freakishly athletic, and extremely smart. That’s because she comes from a race of highly-evolved humans living in the heart of Austin, Texas.  

In order to protect their anonymity and preserve their elite society, Julia’s powerful father forces her to suppress her abilities. When she accidentally demonstrates her super human prowess in public, she’s banished to the one place meant to make her feel inferior: public high school. Thrust into the confusion and humiliation of a normal high school, Julia is just trying to keep her head down when John Ford strolls into her life. (Read complete synopsis here.)

This book basically has that Star-Crossed-Lovers trope. Julia Jaynes was born to a billionaire family with genetically superior genes than common humans. For decades, her kind is hiding in plain sight among the populace. And despite their great fortune and efforts, they are close to extinction. Meanwhile, John Ford is your average senior high school guy struggling to get into college through a scholarship.

The book synopsis said it all. Readers don’t have to look very far and grasp that this book has all the trending YA elements:  (1) a certain group of people with inhuman abilities, (2) they need to keep their identity a secret, (3) intermingling is a big no, (4) angsty teenagers, (5) stunning beauty, and (6) a love triangle. If you are into all of that, then, this book is for you. However, I am looking for something… more. I was looking for something outstanding in the story that may trump those previous YA books. Something absolutely exciting or may shock the senses, that will remain with the reader for a long period of time.

Now, I am not saying that there is nothing great about this book. The story is really well-paced. I read the whole book for only a few hours without any backtracking. The general plot is very interesting. Julia came from a group of people who experienced genocide. Their number is small and nearing extinction. Now, that’s a huge topic to explore, given with all the issues in the world today. I was actually hoping the story to explore more of this perspective, rather than the love pursuits of the characters.  And speaking of characters, I like them. They need more depth, not just their life grievances. But yes, I do like them.

Overall, this is okay. It has plenty of potentials and hopefully, Ms. Weisenberg explores them all.

Book detail:

Title:  Select

Author:  Marit Weisenberg

Publication:  October 3rd, 2017 by Charlesbridge Teen

Genre:  YA Fiction

Rating: ★★★

Book #2: Select Few

*Thanks to Charlesbridge Teen and Netgalley for the copy.

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Book Review | A LIST OF CAGES by Robin Roe

     

January 10, 2017
Disney-Hyperion

A LIST OF CAGES is not your average contemporary young adult novel. With deep raw emotions and a loud call for compassion, Robin Roe wrote a debut that may mark every reader forever.

Fourteen-year-old Julian is reclusive, anxious, and suffers from self-esteem attacks. Five years ago, he lost both of his parents in a car accident and he was immediately folded into foster care. As a high school freshman, school is very difficult for Julian. He has learning disabilities, which makes him an everyday target for bullies, and, sadly, his teachers never cared enough to help him.

Adam, meanwhile, is a high school senior, whose present elective is to help the school psychologist track down Julian and make sure he doesn’t (conveniently) miss more appointments. It should help that Adam was once Julian’s foster brother, but the present Julian that Adam is trying to engage is too different from the one he remembered. So, despite their age difference and preferences, Adam threw in some effort in including Julian into his circle of friends and adds some sense of normalcy into the boy’s life. 

As the story unfolds, Adam suspected that things are much worse than Julian lets on, but Julian is frantic in keeping his friend at arm’s length. Undeterred, Adam is resolute to find out the answers to his worrying questions.

"I know it’s pointless, but I find myself doing it now.

Projecting thoughts and whispering names.

Trying to send out a message that will never be received."

This book caught me off guard. I didn't know when the tears start spilling, but they certainly did. Julian’s story squeezed my heart; it was so painful that at times I wanted to shout.  What happened to him was harrowing. I terribly wished for him to open up, tell the truth, to call for help. I could feel his anguish and fear -his list of cages- that entraps him. This book could hurt you too. 

Statistics says (1) that there are estimated 400,000 kids in (USA) foster care right now; (2) that foster kids can suffer from PTSD at almost two times the rate of returning veterans; (3) that the average age of a foster child is 9-years old; (4) that half of all foster kids are in non-relative foster homes. Julian’s story may not be real, but there are thousands that undoubtedly are. I highly recommend that you read A LIST OF CAGES, too.👍

Book details: 

Title:  A LIST OF CAGES

Author:  Robin Roe

Publication:  January 10, 2017; by Disney-Hyperion

Genre:  YA Fiction

Rating: ★★★★★

*Thank you, Disney-Hyperion, for the galley.
*This review contains a quote from an uncorrected copy.

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Sneak Peek Review | WHAT LIGHT by Jay Asher

  

October 18, 2016;

Penguin Young Readers Group

Click here.

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Say It With A Book #10 | All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

With Guest Book Reviewer | Mawi Lopez

   

ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES is the story of how one event joined the lives of Violet Markey and Theodore Finch. I kept on coming across reviews that say this book is The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park, but honestly I don't see the comparison with either of the two. Sure there are similarities with some of the characters but the themes presented between all three books were dissimilar. Nevertheless, I liked all three of them. On with this book's review… Btw, I don't really do book reviews so please bear with me :)

I highly recommend this book to people who have gone through and have coped with loss, to readers who love young adult themes and to everyone who wanted a little glimpse of what it's like to have someone so special change your life forever.

The book tackled issues about teenage suicide, bullying, mental/emotional disorder, the feeling of being alone despite having people around, loss, divorce and the effects of broken families on the children. It was done in a way that, I think, young people would appreciate and relate to. The author’s note at the end even included organizations one can contact if they’re experiencing said problems and needed help, which is a really nice thing. On the bright side, the story of how Violet and Finch touched each other’s lives was lovely (because lovely is a lovely word that should be used more often). I can’t help but root for them and hope that everything will turn out well for them both. I, also, was utterly pained by the ending as I was so hoping for it to end the other way. I’m not saying the ending was bad, it was good, but I just wished it did not end that way.

I will end this review with a really lovely quote from the book: 

You are all the colors in one, at full brightness.

PS. I totally love the part where they did the Before I die I want to _______ thing. Because it was a really lovely scene and because it has some Jimmy Page reference (please pardon this JP fan) in it.

Book details: 

Title: All the Bright Places 

Author:  Jennifer Niven

Publication: January 6, 2015; Penguin Random House

Genre:  YA Fiction

Rating: ★★★★

...

About Mawi:

Born as Maridon Lopez, but we lovingly call her Mawi. We share a common love for dogs, and we both adored the above-reviewed book. Remembering how she felt when she first joined our TFG activity, back in January 2015, she thought that she'd be an oddball. Little did she know that we're all oddballs in our own little ways. She belongs!

TPW:  What is your favorite genre?

Mawi: I will have to say historical fiction and YA, depending on the theme though, nothing too mawkish please.

TPW:  How would you define yourself as a reader?

Mawi:  I always make it a point to read for pleasure alone. If someone asks me to read a book and at some point found it unbearable, I will put it down and find something better to read. Although, sometimes, I find myself finishing just for the sake of finishing, but that happens very rarely. And I never read two books at any given period, as in I have to finish one first before starting another. 

TPW:  Thank you very much, Mawi!

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