Shorter Musings (YA)

Shorter musings on some recent YA reads.

Hunted by Meagan Spooner
Meagan Spooner is definitely a talented wordsmith, but this just wasn't a right fit for me. I love "Beauty and the Beast". It is my favorite fairy tale. But what I get from the tale and what Spooner gets from it are clearly very different. The entire time I felt like I was reading about the two most selfish beings that ever breathed air, which made me less than hopeful that things would work out for them in the future. I love "Beauty and the Beast" because of the hope, redemption, and love. I just couldn't find any of that here. Spooner has an excellent writing talent, that is evident in how she constructed the story and managed to keep me reading to the end despite my growing misgivings over where it was all headed.

I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maureen Goo

This is pretty adorable. I don't know anything about K-dramas, but I know a lot of teens who do and will be so excited this book exists. Desi is a lot to take as a main character, which is not at all a bad thing. Her presence is just very much felt. She is like a teenage Leslie Knope. Desi comes up with an elaborate plan to find love her senior year of high school, and she is going to follow the plan. Some of the stuff she does is hard to swallow and a bit cringe inducing. I don't deal well with second-hand embarrassment so some parts were hard for me. But overall this is cute, fun, and a perfect read for teens who enjoy romance.

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley

This was rather disappointing after how much I loved Crowley's previous two novels (which was a lot). It is technically as well written with the same dreamy quality to the prose and yet hard core of reality woven through it. However, I could not get past my desire to strangle Henry for being a spineless jellyfish. For the life of me I can't figure out why all the other characters think he's so great. He comes around at the end, but it was an ending I just couldn't buy based on everything that came before it. I'm so sad because I was really looking forward to this. The three stars are because I really did love Rachel (you deserve better, Rachel!), George, and Martin.

You're Welcome, Universe by Whitney Gardner

This is a book about art, friendship, communication, and fighting for your place in the world. Julia is expelled from her school for the deaf for painting graffiti over a slur directed at her best friend that was painted on the school's wall. Now in a public school with an interpreter she doesn't want, Julia is just trying to survive the year and figure out how to continue her illegal art activities when her two moms are watching her like hawks. Julia is an incredibly angry main character and the author makes the reader feel that anger, while at the same time showing Julia's faults. This is a fine balance in a first person narrative and I really appreciated it. All of the supporting characters in the book are well done too. I enjoyed reading this and would recommend it to those who enjoy realistic YA.

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Serafina and the Black Cloak

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty is a thrilling tale of mystery and adventure set at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC in 1899. Having lived in Asheville and visited the house several times, there was no way I was going to pass up a chance to read this. (Also it's MG fantasy, always a bonus for me.) Serafina lives in secret in the basement of the Vanderbilt's spacious vacation home. She has lived there most of her life. Her father worked on the house as it was being built and is the mechanic who runs the massive generator and keeps the electricity going. Serafina is the chief rat catcher, slipping through the halls of her massive home secretly and quietly. She is light on her feet, sees well in the dark, and is quick enough to catch the vermin and keep them out. Serafina knows she if different and strange. Her father insists she stay hidden. But all that changes when one night Serafina witnesses a horrible crime. A little girl, a guest in the house, is fleein...

Shorter Musings MG Fantasy

Here are some shorter musings on recent MG fantasy reads. Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack This book is fun. It is a book full of adventure, an obvious bad guy, some more complicated morally gray area characters, and a strong, brave heroine. It is also a book about friendships, community, and fighting for what is right. All things that usually work for me really well. While I enjoyed this, I did feel it was a little overlong and there were certain plot points at the end I didn't love. However, there were things I thought were done really well, such as Anya's Jewish faith and the idea that power needs to be challenged. In the end it was a middle of the road read for me, but it is one I will certainly be recommending to dragon and fantasy adventure lovers I know! R is for Rebel by J. Anderson Coats This is tough because I usually really like Coats's books. I had such a hard time with this one though on so many levels. It's difficult to get into because t...

Favorite Kissing Scenes

When thinking of a favorite things post I could do for February I decided it would have to be kissing. I've already done couples and I was feeling in the mood to do something fluffy and Valentine's related. So kisses it is. I read more MG than YA, and the YA I read tends to not focus on romance so this was actually harder than I expected it to be though a few jumped into my head right away. (And one of my choices does actually come from a MG book. One is adult. Gasp!) The actual scene from the book is quoted followed by my thoughts. The king lifted a hand to her cheek and kissed her. It was not a kiss between strangers, not even a kiss between a bride and a groom. It was a kiss between a man and his wife, and when it was over, the king closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the hollow of the queen's shoulder, like a man seeking respite, like a man reaching home at the end of the day . - The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner Turner doesn't write the...

Shadowshaper

Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older is everywhere. Best of lists. Award buzz. Blogs everywhere. It's one of those books everyone is reading and talking about. I had it on my TBR but decided I definitely needed to read it before the year was out just so I could weigh in on one of the most talked about books of 2015 if asked. It is deserving of every good thing said about it. Every. One. Sierra was looking forward to a relaxing summer break. Her plans involved hanging out with her friends and painting. They did not involve being chased by zombie like creatures and threatened by a magical power connected to her family's heritage she has never heard of. When murals begin fading all over her Brooklyn neighborhood, Sierra is perplexed. When her grandfather, who had a stroke, begins to apologize and starts repeating strange phases and insisting Sierra get the help of a boy she barely knows to help her finish her mural, Sierra is concerned but mostly about her grandfather. Then at a...

The Penderwicks in Spring

The Penderwicks is not just one of my favorite ongoing series; it is one of my favorite series of all time. I'm always astounded by the depth of emotion and diverse, realistic relationship dynamics Birdsall is able to capture with these characters. The Penderwicks in Spring surpassed my expectations even though they were astronomically high already. It is now my favorite, having edged out The Penderwicks on Gardam Street . Minor spoilers for first three book are in this review. If you haven't read this series, get started: The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy The Penderwicks on Gardam Street The Penderwicks at Point Mouette Spring is coming to Gardam Street and Batty and Ben Penderwick couldn't be more excited. The season is bringing with it anticipation and new opportunities. Nick Geiger, the Penderwicks' neighbor, is returning home on leave from the Army after being at war. Both Skye and Ba...

Random Musings of a Bibliophile

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