The Dark Divine: Book Review

I finished The Dark Divine by Bree Despain last week...and absolutely loved it. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the Twilight series or Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver or supernatural romances in general, be it vampires, warewolves, fairies, etc. What I appreciated about The Dark Divine was although it was definitely a supernatural romance it was more than that and the heroine was fully formed and relatable. Grace had a life outside her love interest, Daniel and cared about things besides being with him every second of the day (unlike cough Bella Swan cough). She cared about her family, her friends, art and school. She also had a future planned that didn't simply revolve being with Daniel, which was really it was refreshing. I also liked that Grace and Daniel didn't run into each other one day in school and fall in love at first sight. It was nice that they had a history and were childhood friends, it made the love story (and the story in general) matter more, because there was a foundation, a history, and something at stake. I also liked the mystery surrounding bad boy Daniel, his unexplained falling out with Grace's father and brother, and his disappearance and subsequent return. It kept me guessing until the very last pages. Also, with Grace's dad a minister, it was a unique family unit and religion served as an interesting backdrop for a supernatural story. I also liked the historical element that Despain wove into the story, and how religion served its part in moving the story along, so that Minister Divine didn't seem just like a tacked on component of the story. All in all, it's a great book, and I highly recommend it (it's also got a really beautiful cover...and you know how much I love pretty covers.)

Percy Jackson: movie review, YA movie news

I finished The Last Olympian on Saturday, and was really excited to see the movie a few days later...I ended up seeing the Percy Jackson movie on Monday; and honestly, I have to say I was rather disappointed. I hate when movies needlessly change plots and characters in beloved books. And in this case, the changes weren't necessary and didn't do anything to improve the story (or in this case, the movie). Like, for instance, they completely left Clarisse COMPLETELY. And any mention of Ares (one of my favorite gods in the book series). They also made Percy 16 in the first movie, instead of 12. Introduced a love interest in Annabeth almost immediately and threw out a lot of (usual) back story/mythology Riordan created about the gods (Poseidon in Bermuda shorts for instance)/their relationships with their children/the gods dropping in and "helping" Percy, Annabeth, and Grover along the way. AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON LUKE. I thought one of the greatest strengths of the The Lightning Thief was the surprising reveal, near the very end of the book, that Luke was evil. The tarantula scene still haunts me, particularly because this was a boy who Percy trusted and who he considered a friend. None of that relationship was built up in the movie, and Luke ended up coming off like a spoiled pouty child having a temper tantrum.

Okay. End rant.

Have you guys had a chance to check out the new YA books? What have you been particularly enjoying? I started Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater and have been really enjoying it. It's nice to see a wolf not in competition with a vampire. I've been anxiously waiting for The Dark Divine to come back in, as I'm really excited to read that.

Speaking of Shiver, the movie version now has a writer attached to pen the script. And in other movie news, Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series is being made into movies too. New broke last summer that the series would be made into movies, but in the months following no progress was made. Now however, Screen Gems has fast tracked the a film version of the series. Anyone fans of the Uglies series? I tried to read Pretties but just couldn't get into it. Should I give the series another try?

Hunger Games Fans?

For those of you out there who might be Hunger Games fans, I have big news. The third (and final) book in the trilogy, which will be released in August, now has a name: Mockingjay. (It has previously been referred to as Hunger Games Book 3.) It also has a cover, featuring, you guessed it a mockingjay. I like the symmetry between three book covers. On the cover of book 1 you have Katniss' gold mockingjay pin, on Catching Fire you have a more realistic looking mockingjay which looks as though it is attempting to fly free of the wheel [of fate?] it's attached to, and the third book shows a real mockingjay completely free. My friend, another Young Adult Librarian, took issue with the background color, saying the sky blue was too optimistic for the series, but I kind of like it. Fans of the series are already looking to the cover for clues as to who Katniss will ultimately end up with; fellow contestant and baker's son Peeta Mellark or childhood friend/hunting partner Gale Hawthorne. I'm not sure how much I'm able to read into the cover about this, at all, but that's just me.

So what about you guys? Are you Team Peeta? Team Gale? I find this blog entry entertaining, and the casting (for the upcoming Hunger Games movie) spot on. I'm going to start reading Catching Fire next week, but as of this moment, I must confess I am a big Team Peeta fan. Coincidentally, we recently got Catching Fire here at the Tucker Free Library, so stop by and check it out.

If you're looking for more information about the release of the third book and it's cover, check out publisher's weekly article here.

Review: All Unquiet Things

I started Anna Jarzab's All Unquiet Things at 6:30 on Friday night, and I finished it at approximately 11. That same night. It's absolutely fantastic. It is by far the best book I've read this year (yes yes, I know it's only February, but it's still a very true claim.) All Unquiet Things follows two high school students, withdrawn and sulky Neily and ostracized former "it girl" Audrey as they attempt to band together to uncover who killed Carly the year before. Narrated by both, in alternating sections, their motivations for uncovering who really killed Carly are complicated by their personal history to her. Carly is Neily's ex-girlfriend (who he has never quite gotten over) and Audrey's best friend/cousin. Oh, and Audrey's father is the one who is in jail for killing Carly.

All Unquiet Things is smart. It's immensely readable. Neily and Audrey, though flawed and devestated by Carly's death, are utterly relatable and we understand why this quest is so important to them, because we understand how important Carly was to them (despite her numerous faults). This book reminded me of Veronica Mars in the best way possible. They both had a Lilly Kane tragic figure, a murder mystery with a killer no one ever saw coming, a realistic film noir tone, flashbacks which helped give the victim a life and a history and made her someone who we, like the determined characters, cared about, and two people coming together to discover the truth.




I urge you to check out this book. It's different than a lot of the supernatural romances which are raging right now. It's set in the real world, but it's in a shady underbelly of corruption and dark secrets which is totally addicting, even if we'd never want to live there ourselves.

P.S. If you haven't seen Veronica Mars you need to Netflix it. It'll change your life. Everyone I've forced to start watching it has become addicted.

Percy Jackson!

So any Percy Jackson and the Olympian fans? I recently started reading the series (I'll admit it, after seeing a really cool looking preview for The Lighting Thief) and I have really been enjoying it (I'm currently halfway through the fourth book.) I find the dynamic between Percy and Annabeth really interesting, I love all the characters (even Clarisse, and Luke [[surprisingly]]) and I have really been enjoying how Rick Riordan weaves Greek mythology into an exciting adventure story. (A particular favorite of mine was Medusa popping up at a bizarre roadside antique store/fast food diner/stone sculpture place in The Lighting Thief). I'm really excited about  seeing how Riordan ties everything up in the fifth and final book, The Last Olympian, although I must confess much like reaching the final Harry Potter book (The Deathly Hallows, I don't want this series to end.

Incidentally, I am insanely excited for the movie (out February 12th) because I really feel this is a series which would lend itself nicely to film. (and the previews look awesome! Although I kind of wish that Annabeth had blonde hair, like she does in the books.)

Thoughts?

Holden Caulfield and his Literary Legacy

 J.D. Salinger, the enigmatic author of The Catcher in the Rye passed away yesterday of natural causes at 91 years old. As a fan of Catcher in the Rye I was thrilled to discover an article written by David Levithan (author of Boy Meets Boy, Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist, and The Realm of Possibility among others) about Catcher in the Rye's enduring impact on young adult literature. If you're at all a fan of Catcher in the Rye, Salinger, Levithan, or young adult literature it's a really great read. Check it out here at the Wall Street Online.

Levithan writes:

Probably the most popular thing I’ve ever read during school visits is a piece from one of my novels called “My girlfriend is in love with Holden Caulfield.” No matter where I am in America, no matter if I’m talking to freshmen or seniors, guys or girls, every time I say the title, at least half the class knows exactly what I’m talking about. I often say that “The Catcher in the Rye” is the second most misread book in history – when you’re young, you don’t really see Holden’s pain, only his bravado. Then, when you get older, you see the sorrow and confusion underneath. And the book gets even stronger for it.

If you want to check out his short story, "My girlfriend is in love with Holden Caulfield" you can check it out here [it's a great read, and a nice introduction into David Levithan, if you've never had the pleasure of reading him before.] 

Any Salinger fans out there? What did you guys think about Holden Caulfield? Catcher in the Rye?

Hold Still: the review

I recently finished Hold Still by Nina LaCour. I was excited to read it; as I had heard tons of praise about it and countless comparisons to Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why. Now, I absolutely loved Thirteen Reasons Why, I rank it in top ten books of 2009...so I guess I can't blame Hold Still for leaving me a bit underwhelmed. (I mean realistically, that is a lot of pressure to live up to, and perhaps I was setting myself up for at least a little disappointment.) The story follows Caitlin in the days, weeks, and months following her best friend Ingrid's suicide.  In the aftermath of the tragic event, Caitlin stumbles upon Ingrid's journal and in this discovery, finds a portal into a world where she can still connect with Ingrid. I liked the premise of this book. It's not surprising that it keeps getting compared to Thirteen Reasons, which had a similar suicide/messages from the dead setup. Only, Asher took it so much further in Thirteen Reasons. In Hold Still I had a hard time knowing and understanding Ingrid. She often felt whiny, petty and bratty to me. I found myself wishing I could get to know the Ingrid who Caitlin knew (as she obviously loved/worshipped Ingrid). I only got a glimpse at a very depressed girl, out of control girl making bad decisions and blaming everyone else.  Regardless, I enjoyed the book. Caitlin's struggle to pick up the pieces is simultaneously heartbreaking and encouraging, a testament to the power of people to heal. She is ultimately, whether she realizes it or not, able to build her life back up again (with new friends, new experiences (she builds a treehouse), and the rediscovery of old loves (photography, and her photo teacher.) I recommend the book, although if you have already read Thirteen Reasons, try not to be too disappointed.

*Hold Still is currently on display with new YA books on the table to the right of the main desk upstairs.