Book Review: City of Bones

From Goodreads: When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know... 

Thoughts:  As I've mentioned before, I've started to struggle with a lot of young adult fiction. I've had trouble putting it into words, however recently Australian author John Marsden (Best known for his YA Tomorrow When the War Began series) managed to say what I've been thinking - “I’ve gotten a little tired of the young adult market, or the genre. It seems to have gotten very crowded with a lot of pretty unattractive books; a lot of books where writers are trying terribly hard to capture the voice of this funky, cool teenager; it just doesn’t ring true. Too many adults have invaded the territory with motives that might have more to do with their own immaturity than anything else.’’ (Source)

I've contemplated The Mortal Instruments series for awhile, but after two recommendations (one from my non reading hairdresser and the second from my book mad niece) I decided to give it a go.

So the verdict – I'll be reading the second. While it wasn't the can't put down read of something like The Hunger Games, it was engaging enough and more importantly intelligent enough to keep me interested. There are characters I would like to know more about like Alec and Isabelle. There is room for characters to grow and the story to develop. The universe the author has created is interesting and again, has room to develop. I picked the twist early, but was still interested enough for it to not ruin or taint the story. If you're looking for a halfway decent YA series, this is worth a look.

Book Review: The Maze Runner

From Goodreads: "If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human."
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.
"Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade."
Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.
"Everything is going to change."
Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.
Remember. Survive. Run.

Thoughts: I bought this and the next two in the series straight after I saw the movie, reasoning they would be perfect fodder for our 10 day camping trip - and it was. It is however, one of those rare moments where I prefer the movie to the book. While the movie included all the plot development the book did, how they got there was very different and much of what happened in the movie seemed way more plausible. The characters in the movie were also better developed and easier to empathise with. Truth be told, I don't think I would enjoy the book as much is I hadn't seen the movie.

Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars

From Goodreads: Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

Thoughts: I listened to this as an audio book. It was narrated by Kate Rudd, who is not someone I had every heard of before. I mention this because I have come to realise how important a narrator is to an audio book. Kate Rudd is a good narrator. I didn't find myself distracted by her voice, it didn't sound "put on", she made the book enjoyable.
It's easy to see why this book has done so well. I found it to be a strong story that dealt with the tough topic of teenage cancer sufferers without becoming condescending or clichéd. It became apparent to me what was going to happen fairly quickly, but I think anyone with half a brain would have seen it. I don't think John Green set out to put in a big twist that no one would see coming, instead I think he wanted a book with emotion and thoughtfulness and I think he achieved it.
The book made me cry, but I don't think I cried where most YA readers would have. The parts that had me almost sobbing as I sat in the car park at Woolworths (handy hint - emotion laden books while driving, not such a good idea!) was the conversation Hazel had with her parents towards the end of the book. Hazel is living on borrowed time - you know it the whole way through. As a parent, I cannot and do not want to imagine what that feels like. Hazel's fears for her parents took my breath away and had me wanting to reach out and grab her, hold her close and promise her they would be ok and then I wanted to tell her parents that when it came, I would support them too.
One of the thing Green is a master of is producing quotes you just know teens are scrawling down all over the place because those words touched them. Google A Fault in our Stars quotes and you'll see what I mean. Here's a taste:

The thing is, I remember just about every scene where those words were spoken. I could put them in chronological order for you. John Green writes words that have power. The problem may be believing those words come from teens.
After a short FB discussion with a friend about AFioS I started to think about the portrayal of teens in young adult books. I know I have often thought that the characters are unbelievable, wise beyond their years - and this holds true for AFioS. The insights and reactions of Hazel, Gus and even Issac is way beyond what I think most teenagers would display. But here's the thing, I don't remember ever thinking that when I was a young adult reading such books - and I don't think the characters in the books have changed that much. What has changed, obviously, is me. I'm older, I have more experience and I am now (far) distant from being a young adult and therefore the direct target audience for these books. So here's my conclusion on teens wise beyond their years in YA books - they have to be. If the characters in YA books were your typical teens, you wouldn't get the stories you do. I think it's also a way of showing YA readers what they can become, presents a model of maybe who they'd like to be. This slightly unrealistic presentation of their age group doesn't worry them because they can imagine that's what they could be like. If adults truly want to get the best out of YA books, they need to stop expecting them to be books for adults and accept they are books for young adults - teens.

Book Review: Allegiant

From Goodreads: The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.
But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.
Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

Thoughts: This is the third and final book in the Divergent series. I reviewed the second book Insurgent last week and said I was unlikely to read this one for awhile. However, the request I had on it at the library came through and it's only a 2 week loan, so needs must and I read.
Allegiant is definitely better than Insurgent, but still sadly falls short of the promise offered in Divergent. The view point switches between Tobias and Tris, but their voices became so similar at times I had to double check whose view I was reading. The world they find outside the fence holds some pretty big and shocking truths, truths that really have a huge effect on their whole lives. What's happening inside the fence becomes a secondary, minor, story line which was frustrating. The first two books had spent a lot of time setting up this faction/ factionless war and it amounted to nothing.
My biggest issue with the end is how neatly it's all resolved and how quickly. It's a common problem and I understand why. You've written a trilogy, your audience, especially if they are young, want to know how everything ends. They like nicely packaged answers. The problem however, is in doing so, the ending often feels rushed and too perfect. It clashes with what we know is reality - there isn't an end, things rarely work out neatly.
It's a good series, especially for it's target audience. I do like how it has strong female characters and even once romance is introduced, the female characters retain their strength. They are able to make decisions without the romantic interest or without deferring to them. I like how Tris owned her decisions, didn't back down from what she believed and called Tobias on some of his behaviour. There needs to be more of it.

Book Review: Delirum

From Goodreads: Ninety-five days, and then I'll be safe. I wonder whether the procedure will hurt. I want to get it over with. It's hard to be patient. It's hard not to be afraid while I'm still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn't touched me yet. Still, I worry. They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don't.

Thoughts: I chose to listen to this because I needed a new audio and I had enjoyed listening to Panic. The premise also sounded interesting - a world where love is seen as a disease and a cure has been found. Once you reach 18 you can be cured and live a life of blissful happiness, never bothered by those pesky, overwhelming emotions again. Except of course, there are people who get infected before 18 and those for who the cure doesn't work. Given the whole outline of the world it's not hard to see where this book is going.
I mentioned in a recent review that I have some trouble with the current batch of YA dystopian novels. I gave this one a go because I liked the author. My problem now is I'm not sure if I have issues with this because of the book or the person who narrated it. When I think about the story I can't complain about it too much. Yes there was a little too much teenage angst, but it's a novel aimed at teenagers specifically about love - I can't be surprised by the angst! The world created is believable, the characters genuine. The narrators voice though was grating. Narrated by Sarah Drew, I just found her voice annoying. The best I can come up with is was it wasn't old enough, and not even that is right. Her voice for the female teenage characters was fine, but for any male or grown up character it just didn't work for me.
Any way, I'm going to read the second one rather than listen to it and see if that's the issue. I hope so, I really do want to like it.

Book Review: Insurgent

From Goodreads: One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.
Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

Thoughts: Second book in the Divergent series. Unfortunately I think this suffers from the second book syndrome in that it simply doesn't measure up to the standard set by the first book. It was OK, but I didn't have the same drive to read it as I did with Divergent. Tris has a lot of angst in this book and there is a stronger focus on the romance between her and Four. One of the things I liked about Divergent was the fact the romance wasn't the foremost thing in the book. In the end though, I won't say too much, partly because it's hard to without giving spoilers and partly because I simply don't have that much to say about it. Insurgent is worth reading if  you've read the first one. I will read the last, if for no other reason than I'd like to finish the series!

Book Review: Six Impossible Things

From Goodreads: Fourteen-year-old nerd-boy Dan Cereill is not quite coping with a reversal of family fortune, moving house, new school hell, a mother with a failing wedding cake business, a just-out gay dad, and an impossible crush on the girl next door.
His life is a mess, but for now he's narrowed it down to just six impossible things...

Thoughts: So apparently I read this for the 2011 Children's Book Council Short list for Older Readers and liked it enough to say it should be an honour book. That may go some way to explaining why it sounded kinda familiar! However, I'd forgotten enough to think I'd read the start and not finished or something. Bizarre given that I really quite enjoyed it.
I decided to read it after reading Wildlife for this years short list. The books are linked, but interestingly, by a secondary character in this. Lou does play a larger part in  Wildlife, but both books stand well on their own. Having read this, I now want to go back and check a few things in Wildlife.
I like Dan, the main character in this. He's aware of his faults, but like many teenagers, seems unable to get out of his own way. He bumbles along, thinking it's all up to him without realising there are plenty of people willing to help. I love his mum who keeps talking brides - who come to discuss wedding cakes -  out of  getting married and thus not helping matter at all! 
I do however, have two issues with the book. The first has to do with the age of the characters. The way they behave, their conversations and maturity level I struggle to believe. In truth, they would only have to be 12 months older to make it easier to believe, but Dan is only 14 and while circumstances have forced him to grow up and quickly, I still have a hard time believing he is only 14. My other issue is the neat tidy ending. Without giving anything away, too many issues such as impending poverty and a huge betrayal of trust are resolved way to easily. I most probably could have dealt with one and the hint of the other sorting itself out, but both together just didn't gel for me. Don't let that put you off, though, both books are well worth reading.

Book Review: Divergent

From Goodreads: In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Thoughts: It appears that dystopian fiction is the current YA trend. I find it fascinating to watch as a book for one genre takes off and then suddenly it's all you can find on the YA shelves. Invariably the pickings for quality become slim as the rush to ride the most recent wave takes over. Having loved Hunger Games, and then been disappointed with a few recent YA reads, I was reluctant to jump on this bandwagon. Then a friend said it was worth reading, reviews were generally good, so I put in on hold and waited to reach the top of a very long list.
I'm glad I read it, it was a good solid read and I will be reading the rest of the series.I'm glad YA is developing good, strong female characters who can look after themselves and don't go to pieces because someone sparkles at them. Sure, they like a bit of romance, who doesn't, but it's not the centre of their world. Instead, the centre of Tris' world is working out how to survive, how to be who she wants to be and how to protect those she holds dear. I loved her struggle between who she feels is her true self - dauntless - and the self everyone else sees her as - abnegation. I love that she gets knocked down and gets back up again and again and again. I love that she can think for herself. I love that it took her time to fall for the guy and it wasn't one single thundebolt moment that immediately sent her into a tailspin. 
If I have a criticism of the book it's the premise it is built on. As another review I read said, you can see how the world portrayed in the Hunger Games would come about, it's a bit harder to stretch to a Divergent world. However, if you can manage to look past that and just accept this is the way things are, you are in for a good YA read.

Book Review: Choker

From Goodreads: Sixteen-year-old Cara Lange has always been a loner, even more so since she moved away from her best and only friend, Zoe, a few years ago. Cara mostly spends her time avoiding the popular girls who call her 'choker' after a humiliating incident in the cafeteria, and watching Ethan Gray from a distance, wishing he would finally notice her.
Then one day Cara comes home and finds Zoe waiting for her. Zoe's on the run from problems at home, and Cara agrees to help her hide. With Zoe back, Cara's life changes overnight. Zoe gives her a new look and new confidence, and before she can blink, Cara is flirting with Ethan and getting invited to parties. And best of all, she has her best friend to confide in again.
But just as quickly as Cara's life came together, it starts to unravel. A girl goes missing in her town, and everyone is a suspect ~ including Ethan. Worse still, Zoe starts behaving very strangely, and Cara begins to wonder what exactly her friend does all day when she's at school. You're supposed to be able to trust your best friend no matter what, but what if she turns into a total stranger?

Thoughts: Often when I read a book, before I review it, I pop on over to Goodreads and read a few reviews first. I do this for a couple of reasons. I often find it hard to put into words what I feel about a book that reading other reviews gives me a start point. Sometimes it makes me reflect on a book differently, making me think about things I had thought of before. I also find it comforting (not quite the right word, but as close as I can get) when I find reviews that express similar feelings to myself about the book - that I somehow got it "right." Usually with books I don't like, it only takes me three or four reviews to find someone else who wasn't enamoured. With Choker is was quite a scroll down the page to find someone else who wasn't thrilled with it. ! I didn't find it creepy, I saw the ending coming from waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy off and there were plot holes big enough to drive a truck through. There was so much detail that was just ignored, situations not explained adequately for me to believe the story I was being told. Spoiler alert. High light the following space if you want to see my plot concerns. Which parents, in their right minds, leave a child who has history of mental illness alone when the evidence is so clear that she is struggling. Given Cara had apparently committed murder, there was no loss of time or unexplained circumstances. Even given the fact that she thought Zoe was responsible for all of it, from what I understand of this level of psychological issues, not everything can be explained, even in the mind of the person suffering the disorder. Cara's behaviour just did not sit well with what the book was asking me to believe was happening.
The writing was ok, but nothing brilliant - definitely not enough to save the book as a whole. Maybe the reality is I am simply getting too old to read a lot of YA fiction. I'm no longer able to suspend disbelief to the point it is needed to accept certain things in the book. I accept that at 15, 16, 17 I may have loved this book. At over 40, it just doesn't cut it for me.

Six Sentence Sunday

As frequently happens when I haven't blogged for awhile, I get a little overwhelmed with what needs to be reviewed.

I'm not sure where 6 Sentence Sunday comes from but I've seen it around. Basically it means you review your book in 6 sentences or less. I have four to catch up on, so lets get started!

Russian Winter - Daphne Kalotay

In the hope of closing the curtain on painful memories, Nina Revskya, a Russian ballet dancer who defected to America, is selling her extensive jewelery collection and donating the proceeds to the Boston ballet. Griogori Solodin is a professor in Russian who believes he has a link to the famous ballerina. Kalotay writes a beautiful story of a woman living in very dangerous times and a man desperate to know the truth. Jumping back and forth from present day Boston and Stalinist Russia, the story exposes piece by piece the mystery behind Revskya and Solodin's past. Russian Winter is a beautifully written history lesson, love story and mystery all rolled into one - highly recommended.

The Lacuna - Barbara Kingsolver

 This was our first Book Group selection for the year but due to my 10 year old breaking his leg I was unable to get to the meeting. The Lacuna traces the life of Harrison William Shephard, a half Mexican, half American raised in Mexico but moving back to America as an adult. I don't find Kingsolver easy to read and this was no exception. I spent much of the novel waiting for something to happen, and with our main character encountering real life people such as Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and  Trotsky, you expected something to happen! In the end the prose kept me going, it is beautifully written. Just don't pick it up expecting a great page turner.

Challenges: Ebook Challenge

Paper Towns - John Green

 I'd heard the John Green around the blogosphere a lot but had never picked up one of his books until Paper Towns - and wow - I now get the hype. Recently I have come to the realisation that a lot of YA fiction no longer does it for me - most probably because I am way past being a YA myself. But every now and then you discover something that works and for me this was it. I loved the characters, the story line, the adventure, the puzzle, everything. I'll be looking for more of Mr Green's work!

Halt's Peril - John Flanagan

Oh but it was good to be back with Halt, Will and Horace as they search for Tennyson and his band of followers. One of the things I love about this series is the characters actually change and grow as the books progress. This is the ninth book in the series and Horace and Will have obviously become very competent young men, well past their apprenticeships. Flanagan continues to produce quality writing that is a wonderful introduction into the fantasy genre for younger readers.

Challenges: Aussie Author Challenge

So there I am caught up, thanks to Six Sentence Sunday!

Book Review - Between Shades of Gray

From Goodreads: Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously--and at great risk--documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. 

Thoughts: Over at Goodreads, Ari reviewed this book and she summed it up perfectly for me - Step on my heart, cut it wide open, rub it with salt and feed it to the sharks.. Or just make me read this book, because this is how it feels like reading this story.

Between Shades of Gray is beautifully written. Descriptions of the horrors people faced during these dark, dark times are stark and gut wrenching. The characters are just there, waiting for you to reach out and save them...but you can't, you can only stand by and watch as they struggle to stay alive, stay sane, stay human. As a mother I found this hard to read. The thought of my children going through something like this is impossible.

Every time I read a book about the Holocaust or events such as those that took place across the Baltic states I'm floored. How could this happen? How could one human think it was ok to treat another like this? How? Maybe as long as we can't answer these questions, or stop these events happening, we will keep asking.

Between Shades of Gray is the quality young adult fiction our young people should be reading. Unlike the last YA book I reviewed, where I was obviously not the target audience and was left feeling nothing, this book is for everyone and left me feeling almost too much. But that's ok, it's right that I feel overwhelmed after reading a book such as this - we need to keep feeling about these books, we need to know about it. 

Sepetys crafted this book so well. Every scene, every sentence, every word builds Lina's world, delicately and fragile like her own existence. Sepetys has family that experienced much of what she talks about in this book and you feel that she desperately wants to honour them with this story. Not only does she honour them, she shows the reader the ugly, horrible truth of what happened, validating their stories and bringing them out into the light.

Book Review - Die For Me

 

From Goodreads: In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.
When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.
Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

Thoughts: Hmmm, what to say? It's not that I didn't like this book, I just think I'm not the target audience. I'm all for anything that gets young people reading, and these paranormal teenage fiction seem to fit the bill for many young girls out there, but there are a few issues for me.

In many of these books the girls seem to have body image issues. Despite friends and family and their new love interest saying they are pretty, attractive, beautiful, nearly all of them describe themselves as plain or not attractive in some way. Meanwhile their male love interests are all gorgeous, movie star, flawless types - physically and mentally. It does make me wonder what message we are sending the girls who are reading these books and what expectations we are giving them about the relationships they are likely to have.  Then again, if it gets the reading...

Plum's book is well written - the idea is original (not your normal vampires/ werewolves etc) and the choice to set it in France rather America gave a nice change of scenery. The story flows well and the characters, while a little formulaic, are fleshed out nicely. But, in the end, at 41 I think I'm just a little too old to be get any real enjoyment out of it. I'm pretty sure I would have loved it at 16, but at this stage in my life it left me feeling...empty.

The Kings of Clonmel

Title: The Kings of Clonmel
Author: John Flanagan
Genre: Fiction
Series: Ranger's Apprentice
Audience: Young Adult
Format: Book - Library

From Goodreads: Will is at the annual Ranger Gathering but Halt is investigating mysterious happenings in the west. When he does finally return, it's with bad news. Hibernia is in turmoil. A religious cult calling themselves the Outsiders are sowing confusion and sedition, and five of the six Hibernian kingdoms have been undermined. Now the sixth, Clonmel, is in danger. Halt, Will and Horace set out to restore order. Can the secrets of Halt's past help them in their mission?

What I thought: Really?? December since I last read one of these books?? Hmmm, not sure I am happy about that!
This series goes from strength to strength. Will, I feel, really comes into his own in the book, making his own decisions, following his own path. Horace too is starting to flesh out as a character rather than playing a supporting role. As I have mentioned before, I think this is one of the best fantasy fiction series for younger readers. My ten year old boy has started reading them and is rocketing through them! I need to read the last 3 before he catches up to me!

Between The Lines

Title: Between The Lines

Author: Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer

Genre: Fiction
Audience: Young Adult
Format: Book - Library

From Goodreads: What happens when happily ever after... isn't?

Delilah hates school as much as she loves books. In fact, there's one book in particular she can't get enough of. If anyone knew how many times she has read and re-read the sweet little fairy tale she found in the library, especially the popular kids, she'd be sent to social Siberia... forever.

To Delilah, though, this fairy tale is more than just words on the page. Sure, there's a handsome (well, okay, hot) prince, and a castle, and an evil villain, but it feels as if there's something deeper going on. And one day, Delilah finds out there is. Turns out, this Prince Charming is real, and a certain fifteen-year-old loner has caught his eye. But they're from two different worlds, and how can it ever possibly work?

What I thought:  Any one who reads this blog knows my love/ hate relationship with Jodi Picoult - love her stuff, but find her mother characters incredibly annoying! So when I heard she had written a book with her daughter, I must admit I was interested.
The idea is interesting - falling in love with a story book character, having them fall in love with you and needing to find a way to get him out. And lets face it, haven't we all wondered what happens when we close the book?
Unfortunately, I don't think Picoult and her daughter, van Leer, pulled it off. Plot holes, inconsistencies and writing that just wasn't up to what I expect from a book with Picoult's name on it. I'd be interested to see something van Leer has written herself, just to see if it was the collaboration thing that didn't work. 

All My Dangerous Friends

Title: All My Dangerous Friends
Author: Sonya Hartnett
Genre: Fiction
Audience: Young Adult
Format: Book - library

From Goodreads: Louie has finished with her old life, and stepped into a world of sinners. For her, things are not going to be the same again. This darkly funny, disturbing novel explores a lawless world where morality is a nuisance, everything can be bought, and the prices paid are high.

What I thought: This was the last book in my Library Challenge and was the only book I had to take away with me. Given the idea I was suppose to finish all my books before going away, theoretically I didn't complete the challenge, but I did damn well! I will do a separate challenge post.
Well, what can I say about this? Hartnett's writing is so dark. She takes her characters into places that make you scared for them. At the same time, even though you can see that they choose to be in that situation, you feel for them, want them to survive, come through the other side.
Louie's new boyfriend introduces her to his friends - and they are in some very dangerous business indeed. At first they don't involve Louie, but at her insistence and as her actions prove her trustworthiness and usefullness, they let her in. And she loves it. Loves the thrill, the excitement, the fact she is part of something. But how much is too much? How far is she willing to go?
Not only does Hartnett introduce Louie to this world slowly, she takes the reader with her. You're not 100% sure what these guys are up to, but you know it's not good. And when it comes to a point in the book where Louie has to decide to go on or not, you do too. Do you go and accept these guys for what they are and what they do, or do you draw back and watch from afar, shaking your head, disgusted with what they do. At no point does Hartnett make that choice for you - it's all yours.
This was written from Louie's point of view. Then about three quarters of the way through the book, new characters and a new scenario are introduced. It's jarring, since the reader is not sure where this fits into the story. But I think the jarring is deliberate, it forces you out of any complacency or assumptions you might have slipped into and in the end it comes together.
All My Dangerous Friends is another excellent book from Hartnett. I look forward to the next one from her on my list.

Challenges: Library Challenge,

48 Shades of Brown

Title: 48 Shades of Brown
Author: Nick Earls
Genre: Fiction
Audience: Young Adult
Format: Book - library

From Goodreads: Australian teenager Dan Bancroft had a choice to make: go to Geneva with his parents for a year, or move into a house with his bass-playing aunt Jacq and her friend Naomi. He chose Jacq’s place, and his life will never be the same. This action-packed and laugh-out-loud-funny novel navigates Dan’s chaotic world of calculus, roommates, birds, and love.

What I thought: I make no secret of my love of Nick Earls. I think is one of the funniest, wittiest writers around. I also think he has a great knack for getting inside the head of his characters and making you feel every thing they do. While reading this, I could feel Dan's anxiety, tension, worry - every tiny bit of teenage angst you can imagine. The mother in me wanted to gather him in my arms and tell him it will all be OK, all he needs to do is be himself! Which in the end is the moral of this story - be yourself, because being someone else is too much hard work! It's great advice for any teenager.
Challenges: Library Challenge, Aussie Author Challenge

Ishmael and the Return of the Dugongs

Title: Ishmael and the Return of the Dugongs
Author: Michael Gerard Bauer
Genre: Fiction
Audience: Young Adult
Format: Book - library

From Goodreads: Scobie, Zorzotto, Prindabel, Kingsley and Leseur are back at St Daniel's for Year Ten. Ishmael is feeling confident that he is over the worst of Ishmael Leseur's syndrome and, with Barry Bagsley neutralised for the time being, is hoping for a smooth ride. Instead, it's a seriously gut-wrenching struggle against social humiliation on a scale undreamt of before when he and the Razzman discover girls. His world is now seriously changed, and suddenly Ishmael needs a list to help him make a phone call. Meanwhile their father plans a potentially embarrassing comeback with his old band the Dugongs.
 
What I thought: I love Ishmael. I can only hope my boy grows up to be as thoughtful and lovely as this fictional character. Not that he's perfect - no, he gets into his fair share of trouble, but he thinks about others, is a good friend and his heart is usually in the right place!
I feel a bit disjointed with this series because I read the last book first, something I just don't do! I did however, enjoy it just as much as the other two books. My saddest thought is Scobie, Zorzotto, Prindabel, Kinglsey and Leseur have now graduated high school and unless Bauer plans to follow them to university (unlikely I think) this is my last Ishmael book.

Challenges: Library Challenge

The Outcasts

Title: The Outcasts
Author: John Flanagan
Series: Brotherband
Genre: Fiction
Audience: Children
Format: Book - library

From Goodreads: In Skandia, there is only one way to become a warrior. Boys are chosen for teams called brotherbands and must endure three months of gruelling training in seamanship, weapons and battle tactics. It's brotherband against brotherband, fighting it out in a series of challenges. There can be only one winner.
When Hal Mikkelson finds himself the unwilling leader of a brotherband made up of outcasts, he must step up to the challenge. The Heron brotherband might not have the strength and numbers of the other two teams, but with inventiveness, ingenuity and courage on their side, they might just surprise everyone.

What I thought: This is the fourth book from the The Children's Book Council of Australia Younger Reader's Short list. And like Crow Country,  it's on the teenage shelves at work. Also like Crow Country, I feel it's just as at home as a children's (albeit older children) or young adult book. Again, as a teacher librarian in an primary school, I would have bought it for the upper classes, especially boys.
John Flanagan is the well known author of The Ranger's Apprentice series of which I have raved about at various times, including here, here and here.
Brotherband is his new series, set in Skandia, a country introduced to readers during The Ranger's Apprentice series. And once again, I will rave!
Flanagan writes such good quality young adult/children's fantasy fiction. His characters are strong, believable, flawed and find themselves in situations where they need to use their skills to survive. The world they live in is not easy and they are given responsibility at a young age - and expected to shoulder it. (This is something I don't think we do enough for our children these days) The story is exciting and fast paced, encouraging the reader to turn that next page...just one more chapter...
I have just bought my ten year old the first in the Ranger's Apprentice series and he has taken to it with gusto. You simply cannot beat well written, intelligent books. Well done John Flanagan for producing yet another excellent book! Can't wait to read the second in the series!

Challenges: Library Challenge

Lockie Leonard: Scumbuster

Title: Lockie Leonard: Scumbuster

Author: Tim Winton

Genre: Fiction

Audience:Young Adult
Format: Book - Library

From Goodreads: Lockie's life is a disaster area. His new best friend is probably the oddest human being on planet Earth and, to round things off, he's fallen for a kid still in primary school who even surfs better than him. Can things get worse? This book is the sequel to "Lockie Leonard, Human Torpedo".

What I thought: Another Tim Winton classic! This is the 2nd Lockie Leonard book and a good read, although maybe slightly dated. Lockie and him new mate Egg, set out to stop two companies in the fictitious  town on Angelus (which features in other Winton books) polluting the harbour. Of course, being only 14 makes it a bit harder.

First released in 1993, Scumbuster, I think, shows how far we have come with environmental issues. Today it would be unthinkable for a company to dump it's waste into the ocean, or a community to NOT be upset by it, or a government to not take steps to end it! 

Long time readers of Winton will also recognise a cameo appearance by Queenie, the whaling activist in one of Winton's earlier adult novels - Shallows - which was also set in Angelus.

Challenges: Library Challenge

When We Were Two

Title: When We Were Two

Author: Robert Newton
Genre: Fiction
Audience: Young Adult
Format: Book - library

From Goodreads: Dan had to go, He felt he had no choice, but leaving home was never going to be easy .
Dan and his brother Eddie take off for the coast, in search of their lost mother, in search of a better life . . . but it's a long road they face and Dan must use all his wits to get them there in one piece.
When they are taken under the wings of a group of would-be soldiers marching over the mountains to join up for the Great War, Dan and Eddie's journey becomes something quite unexpected. The experiences they share will shape their future beyond recognition.
This extraordinary rite of passage is a powerful, heart-rending story – Robert Newton at his very best.
What I thought: This is the sixth and final  book from the The Children's Book Council of Australia Older Reader's Short list.
I've enjoyed reading all of the short listed books this year, and this final one is also worthy of being on the list. Robert Newton drew a perfect picture of Australia during the early stages of World War 1. The feel of the small towns Dan and Eddie passed through and the picture of the road and landscape in between was very clear in my head. Rather interestingly, this is the second book I've read recently where the one brother feels guilty for an almost drowning of the other brother - the other being in Cloudstreet. Invariably this lead to comparisons and thoughts of whether Newton was influnenced by Tim Winton or whether it is pure coincidence. Either way the outcome in the end was different.
Like Winton, however, Newton has a talent for producing characters that are so clearly and obviously Australian. You can see the laid back nature, hear the drawl in the voice, feel the sun warmed skin as they shake your hand. While not my favourite on the list, When We Were Two was a great read.

Challenges: Aussie Author Challenge