Must-read book of 2009

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I can't remember the last time I finished a book and immediately wanted to read it again from the beginning. When You Reach Me is a mystery that will confuse the reader up until the last ten pages when all will be made clear. Miranda, a young latch-key kid living in NYC in the late 1970s, is generally a good kid. She helps her mother prepare for her turn on her favorite TV game show, loves re-reading her favorite book (A Wrinkle in Time) and is beginning to figure out how to really be a good friend. When she starts receiving strange letters that don't make sense, though, she is confused and somewhat scared. The letters ask her to write a letter of her own and tell her that if she does, her friend's life will be saved. The slow unfolding of this mystery is never boring. I liked everything about this book from the characters and their development down to the chapter titles, which I usually don't pay any attention. Every detail was just right and every word belonged. Kudos to the author for making this novel work even with the time-space complications. Highly recommended for all readers.

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Five stars...no lie!

The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Song of the Lioness Quartet is an inspiring series about Alanna, the girl who became a powerful knight-sorceress by dressing as a boy for over five years and working her tail off. Tamora Pierce has written tons since then, but this was her first series and her first of four series about the land of Tortall. (can't wait to read the rest!) The series is VERY romantic with lots of adventure. If you liked Graceling, you'll love the books of the Song of the Lioness quartet. The series follows Alanna from the time she goes to court to become a squire until she is a full knight in her twenties. Books in the series include: Alanna: The First Adventure; In the Hand of the Goddess; The Woman Who Rides Like a Man; Lioness Rampant. The world that Pierce has created in these books is full and rich. Characters are fully developed and grow on the reader over time. I especially liked how Pierce handled the love triangle that emerged between three of the characters. This is an incredibly told tale that you'll probably want to reread again and again. (thanks, Gabi for recommending it!)

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New book!

If I Stay by Gayle Forman


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Mia is a talented cellist who loves her family and her rocker boyfriend. Her life is great...before. After the car accident that kills her family she must decide whether life is worth living or if she should join them. Through flashbacks and memories, readers learn all about Mia's relationship with her friends, boyfriend and family members.

Fans of Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones will love this book. If you like to be moved to tears, this is the book for you. Make sure you have kleenex nearby! This book is available in our new YA fiction section.

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Carbon Diaries 2015...a little too realistic

The Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I've read quite a few futuristic/we ruined the environment and the world books, but this one scared me the most...probably because this possible future isn't too far off. The year is 2015 and London has had a Great Storm that devastated the infrastructure. Now England is rationing energy in the form of individual carbon cards. All Laura wants to do is play in her band and hopefully score a date with her next door neighbor, Ravi. Her diary from the year 2015 shows, though, that the reality of her life is anything but typical for a middle class teenager. She and her family must cut back on all luxuries (including showers! and vacations!) severely and necessities like water and food are suddenly in very short supply. Laura's family has never been close and the crisis is making things even more difficult. Survival as a family and survival in general is now on the line.



I recommend this to anyone who cares about the environment and likes learning about the consequences of global warming/wasteful humans. I'd also recommend it to anyone who likes reading books about teenagers with family problems. I would love to read this with teenagers as part of a discussion about global warming and ways we can personally be "greener" and our responsibility as citizens to help our country adopt greener policies. The book seems to argue that we won't do anything about the crisis until it really is an immediate crisis...at which point it may be too late. We should definitely take preventative action!


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The Roar...dystopian sci-fi thriller...

The Roar by Emma Clayton

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Mika is a twin living in a futuristic world where all of humanity lives in the northern hemisphere of Earth behind a Wall due to an Animal Plague that has made the rest of Earth uninhabitable. Mika is twelve years old and is part of the first generation born since the Plague took hold over 40 years ago. Life is uncomfortable and unpleasant for most people (i.e. the poor people) who have to live in confined spaces, eat colored mold, are terrified of the idea of animals and barely ever see the sun. Mika's twin, Ellie, is missing, but Mika senses that she is not dead, as their parents presume. When the government begins offering Mika and all his classmates FitMix and encourages them to play arcade games after school, Mika is suspicious. Once he learns that playing the game is the only way to get closer to Ellie, however, he is determined to win...no matter the cost.



I'm completely creeped out by Clayton's take on the future we're headed towards if we continue to trash our world. (I like to be creeped out by dystopian future Certain elements of the book were confusing and seemed not to fit with the story. The ending was pretty open and left room for a sequel, but I've found no indication that there will be one. I wouldn't mind having to imagine my own ending in this case. Clayton is a first-time author and I look forward to reading more. I wish I could give this 3.5 stars. I recommend this book to anyone who liked The Hunger Games by Collins, Unwind by Wasserman or Carbon Diaries 2015 by Lloyd


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How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier (who is married to Scott Westerfeld!! of the Uglies series!!) is about a girl named Charlie who is sick of her fairy. She goes to an all-sports-school and lives in New Avalon, a place where some people have specific-good-luck fairies that help them with things. i.e. a shopping fairy or a parking fairy like Charlie. Charlie hates her parking fairy and wishes she had a all-boys-like-you fairy like Fiorenze. Charlie has been walking everywhere in an attempt to freeze out her fairy, but it's taking forever. Is there a quicker way? And will she survive it?



This book is very clever and the dialogue is fast and snappy. I couldn't really predict what would happen next and it was fun to see the consequences of Charlie's choices. A good read!


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The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book takes place in a fundamentalist community where Kyra has three mothers, lots of siblings and has just been promised to her uncle as his seventh wife. The Prophet in their community, Prophet Childs, has instituted new rules that involve burning all outside influences (including books!) and keeping to a strict set of social rules. The author does an amazing job showing how desperate Kyra has become to escape her world. As the plot escalates, Kyra's emotional state becomes more and more unhinged and the reader must just go along for the ride. I read the last fifty pages of the book while walking around the house because I couldn't sit and read this book...it was just too intense. Overall, I'd say this book is horrifying, very sad and impossible to ignore.


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Exclusively Chloe by Jonathan Yang

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Chloe-Grace is a celebrity child who’s led a life in the tabloids thanks to her adoptive parents. Her mom is an Oscar award-winning actress and her dad is a rock star. Chloe has led a pretty awesome life of shopping and being famous up until now, but now she’s starting to question everything. Would it be better to be anonymous? And how will she ever know if people really like her for the right reasons? When Chloe gets a make-under and goes undercover at a public school she discovers love, friendship and herself. I liked it!


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Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
"I went away for the summer, fell in love, and everything changed. It's the oldest story in the world." (p. 337)



It may be the oldest story in the world, but of course Sarah Dessen makes it feel fresh and new. Auden grew up too fast thanks to parents who fought all the time and the academic drive she inherited from/did to please her mother. Visiting her father (and his new wife and baby) during the summer before college in the small beach town of Colby, she meets Eli, a boy haunted by his past. Eli and Auden, both insomniacs, begin to spend their sleepless nights together wandering the town of Colby and eventually helping Auden complete childhood experiences she missed the first time around. Sub-plots abound and are all richly explored. Another fabulous book by Sarah Dessen! A must-read for teens who have ever enjoyed one of her other books or for anyone who likes teen romance books that are fully developed.


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48 hr personal challenge UPDATE: 12.5 hours read/listened
# books finished: 4

Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Cammie Morgan is back in her most exciting adventure yet. Roommate Macey McHenry's father is running for vice-president and Macey is a target. After an incident on the campaign trail when Cammie and Macey barely manage to escape an attack on their lives, a new operative is brought to Gallagher Girls Academy to watch out for Macey. Cammie, Liz and Bex are told not to worry, but when have they ever followed the rules before? And why does Cammie keep seeing Zach in strange places? Does he still like her or was their kiss in book 2 a one-time thing?



I loved this book just as much as the first two, I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You and Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy. I highly recommend this series for middle and high school students. Ally Carter writes books that are fun to read; I can't wait for book 4 in the Gallagher Girls series! Put this one on hold today...the Millicent Library owns two copies, but it will be very popular!!


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48 hr personal challenge UPDATE: 7.5 hours read/listened
# books finished: 3

(I've got some major reading to do the rest of today!!)

Review: Thirteen Reasons Why

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a tough book to listen to, but I'm glad I did. Hannah is dead; she killed herself. Now Clay must listen to her voice on the seven tapes (13 sides because "there are 13 sides to every story") he receives in the mail to find out why and what his role was. This book emphasizes how small actions can have large, devastating consequences and highlights the importance of reaching out to others with compassion. I recommend this book for older teens. If possible, listen to this one; Hannah's voice is haunting.


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48 hr personal challenge UPDATE: 5.5 hours read/listened
# books finished: 2

3.5 hours in: finished FIRE!

Fire is the companion novel or prequel to Cashore's debut novel (which I LOVED), Graceling. In case you haven't read it yet (go get it!! now!!), Graceling is about a world of seven kingdoms where some people are born with special gifts, graces. The main character, Katsa, has the gift of killing people, but is tired of being manipulated by the king to inflict harm on others. She and Prince Po, another Graceling who is almost her match in a fight (and other ways!), much work together on an adventure that reveals the most dangerous Grace of all.

Fire is loosely related to Graceling. I don't want to say too much since this book won't actually be released until September. Speaking generally, I'll say that I've fallen even more in love with the way Kristin Cashore builds new worlds and for her ability to create kick-butt female characters who are complex and real. What made so many teens here at the Millicent Library swoon over Graceling, though, was the romance. Fire is even more romantic. I promise!

I wish I could say more about this one, but I'll hold off until after September 9. !!
If you want to know more about Kristin Cashore, visit her blog/website. She lives in Massachusetts!

(many thanks again to my friend Nicole who lent her ARC from BEA to me!)

48 hr personal challenge UPDATE: 3.5 hours read/listened
# books finished: 1 (almost done with 2nd)

DULL BOY by Sarah Cross

Dull Boy by Sarah Cross

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Avery is not normal. He has superhuman strength and the best superpower ever: he can FLY. It's a lonely life as a superteen, though...until he meets some other teens with cool powers and an adult named Cherchette who has powers and claims to also have answers AND solutions to his fears. Now Avery faces a difficult decision: who does he trust? There are some good twists in here and the ending was definitely unexpected for me. I'm looking forward to the sequel! Wish I could give it 4 1/2 stars...


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Catching Fire!!!

So I have a confession to make. I got a copy of Catching Fire in the mail from a friend of mine who went to Books Expo America (BEA for short) and I read it. In one sitting. While chewing my nails down to nothing. I wish I could share it with some of you, but I have to send it back to my friend. You can read it yourself starting September 1st, but in the meantime, just know that IT IS AWESOME. I didn't believe it possible, but it may actually even be better than Hunger Games. !!

While you're waiting for the book to be released, here's a little trailer to keep you excited:

A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Talia has been asleep for 300 years, ala Sleeping Beauty. Jack is bored on vacation in Europe and stumbles across her sleeping village, the beauteous Talia...and can't help kissing her. Although Talia has been wakened by what she believes is "true love's first kiss," the witch/fairy Malvolia is still threatening Talia in her dreams. Told in alternating chapters, A Kiss in Time follows what happens next. Although Talia's transformation in the book is a bit less believable than Jack's, I had great fun reading this book. It was fun seeing Talia figure out the 21st century, especially the behavior and dress of young adults (in modern-day Miami no less!). People certainly don't wear ball gowns anymore! Her diplomatic skills came in handy with Jack's younger sister and mother; Talia managed to bring out the best in everyone and eventually that's what draws Jack to her. (I want to be able to give this 3 1/2 stars.)


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Newest Airhead Novel!!

Being Nikki by Meg Cabot

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I liked Airhead a lot, but I like Being Nikki even better. This sequel follows Em Watts now that she's in supermodel Nikki Howard's body. Em is getting used to being a supermodel, but still misses spending time with her family and her best friend/crush Christopher. It's apparently not easy to be a runway model and have to wear a ten-million dollar diamond bra for New Years. I expected more drama like what happens in the beginning of the book, but then the book took a fun twist and everything suddenly changed. The ending had me wishing I could read the third book right away.


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Science Fair by Dave Barry

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Hilarious!! I'll read just about anything Dave Barry writes after the Peter (Peter Pan prequels) series. I think he does a fabulous job of stretching the believable. This book is about a boy named Toby who is desperate to win the school science fair (and the $5000 prize!) to pay off Star Wars enthusiasts who are blackmailing him, but gets caught up in an international terrorist attack from the Republic of Krpshtstan (population 4 million including goats) instead. Just enough tech info to make geeks happy, but also enough action and humor to keep everyone else happy.


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2008 Printz Award Winner!

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was incredibly confused in the beginning of this book, but kept on anyway. I'm so glad I did. Taylor Markham's character was so well developed that by the end of the book I was almost going crazy hoping that things would "work out"...as well as they can when so many people in her life had already died. I completely fell in love with the boy she fell in love with along with her. The story within a story enchanted me completely. This book is definitely for sophisticated teens who can handle the necessary development in the beginning of the book.


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The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Now I know what all the hype is about! So many teens have told me to try this series, but for some reason I put it off. Now that the 5th book is being released tomorrow, though, I thought I'd better finally give it a try. WOW. Maximum Ride is an unbelievably awesome character with wings, incredible leadership abilities and a pretty difficult destiny (save the world)...plus she's only 14. The rest of the flock: Fang, Gasman, Iggy, Angel and Nudge are mutants, as well, on the run from the Erasers and the rest of the Whitecoats from the School. Really all Max wants is information and the ability to live free...

I can't wait to read the second book! I'm actually glad to be reading this series now because I can blow through all five without waiting. :)


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Graceling by Kristin Cashore

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Katsa lives in a world with seven kingdoms and seven Kings where some people are Graced, meaning they have special powers (and two different colored eyes). Katsa's Grace allows her to fight with incredible skill and at incredible odds. She never loses and she never tires. When Katsa meets Prince Po, a Graced prince from a nearby kingdom, she finally gets to fight someone with skills that rival her own. This book is full of adventure, romance and suspense. Katsa is one of the strongest heroines I've ever met (and I can't believe this is the author's first book!).


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