So Many Books, So Little Time

It's Not Summer Without You - Jenny Han

2012-02-02T00:00:00.000Z

It’sNot Summer Without You – JennyHan

Pages: 275

Publisher: Simonand Schuster (US)

Release Date: 27^thApril 2010

Other Books in the Series: TheSummer I Turned Pretty, We’ll Always Have Summer

Is it really summer without the beach?

Or the boys?

After spending every single summer at Cousins Beach, Belly’slife is about to change. Since her brief relationship with Conrad fizzled outlast winter, she’ll be staying home for the first time. Her best friend,Taylor, has lots of plans for them – boat parties and tanning by the pool andnew boys to obsess over. But when Jeremiah calls and says that Conrad hasdisappeared, all roads seem to lead back to the beach house. Will Belly spendanother summer chasing after Conrad, or will she finally be able to let him go?

I’vefallen hard for this series. I thought I loved the first book until I read It’s Not Summer Without You. Why have Iwaited so long to read them?!

It’s Not Summer Without You hada big surprise in store for me: chapters from Jeremiah’s point of view! I wasslightly worried that it’d bias me towards Jeremiah, but I still remainundecided between the Fisher brothers. This has never happened before – Iusually pick teams very quickly. It was really good to see how the brothers arewhen Belly’s not around and to get a proper sense of their relationship. I’mnow wondering if we’ll be treated to Conrad’s point of view in We’ll Always Have Summer...

Therewas a lot more emotional tension in It’sNot Summer Without You than the first book. The grief that Belly, hermother, Conrad and Jeremiah are suffering through is unimaginable butbeautifully portrayed. It did occur to me though that the kids barely noticedthat the adults would also be hurting, and perhaps even more so. It reallycemented their age for me. There’s also lots of tension and angst between Bellyand the boys. Her confusion over her feelings and Conrad’s indecision andgeneral enigmatic persona that confused Belly even further really helped tocapture how horrible it can be to be in love as a teenager.

I’vegot We’ll Always Have Summer paperbackon pre-order so I’m counting down the days until it comes through the letterbox.

Ipurchased a copy of this book myself.

Sophie

Contemp YA Month: Thank You

2012-01-31T00:00:00.000Z

Wehave reached the end of Contemporary YA Month. I’m pleased to say that it’sbeen a success and I’ve loved hosting it. I set out to highlight some of thefantastic contemporary YA that’s been written and published over the lastcouple of years that has been a little over-looked, quite often by me, too. I thinkI did it. I had some fantastic guest posts from long-time lovers of the genreas well as warmly welcomed newbie’s and I managed to get around to reading someof those contemps that I’d bought ages ago and never quite gotten around to.But I couldn’t have done it on my own.

I’dfirst like to thank to lovely ladies who wrote fantastic guest posts for me: Luisa Plaja,Emma Pass,Catherine Bruton,Clover of FlutteringButterflies and Hannah of My Book Journey.We heard about those authors that kick-started a love affair with contemporaryYA, current favourites, legendary authors and why it’s so popular.

LuisaPlaja’s Top 5 Recent Favourites

CatherineBruton: Why Adults Prefer YA

HowHannah Mariska Discovered Contemporary YA

HowContemporary YA Got Emma Pass a Book Deal

Clover’sFavourite Contemporary YA Authors

Thenwe had Viv from SerendipityReviews whom guest-reviewed a contemporary YA classic(that I still haven’t read!): Speakby Laurie Halse Anderson and I Want to Read That’sSammee who reviewed SaraZarr’s How to Save a Life forus. Thank you!

Thenhalf-way through the month, we had a So Many Books, So Little Time first: a coverreveal. I was the first to show the brand new cover of Keris Stainton’supcoming Emma Hearts LA, which I knowmany people are very excited about (including me). Isn’t it fantastic? Emma Hearts LA willbe released June 7^th by Orchard Books.

You’reall probably wondering what on earth I did contribute now, aren’t you? I waxedlyrical about the two authors who I credit for making me fall in love withcontemporary YA before I even really knew what it was, before blogging andbefore the term YA was even coined. I owe SarahDessen and SarraManning a lot really and in these rather fan-girly posts,I tell you exactly why.

Ialso managed to review quite a few examples of contemporary YA. There was amixture of the old and the new and I’m pleased to say that a few authors andbooks have been added to my favourites list.

Ten Things We Shouldn’t HaveDone, Sarah Mlynowski

Torn, CatClarke

Anna and the French Kiss, StephaniePerkins

Virtuosity, JessicaMartinez

The Statistical Probability ofLove at First Sight, Jennifer E Smith

Forget You, JenniferEchols

Lola and the Boy Next Door, StephaniePerkins

The Fault in Our Stars, JohnGreen

Pretty Bad Things, CJSkuse

The Summer I Turned Pretty, JennyHan

Someone Else’s Life, KatieDale

Rockaholic, CJSkuse

Thebest bit is that these twelve books are only a tiny, tiny sample of what’s outthere at the moment. Although it's cheesy, there really is a contemp YA novelout there for everybody. All you have to do is look at some of the fantasticones we’ve got coming out this year: Nobody’sGirl by Sarra Manning, Emma Hearts LAby Keris Stainton, Chain Reaction bySimone Elkeles, the Catastrophic Historyof You and Me by Jess Rothenberg, Wonderby RJ Palacio, This is NotForgiveness by Celia Rees, AMidsummer Tights Dream by Louise Rennison and so many, many more.

Andnow for the biggest thank you of all: to everyone who read, commented, tweeted,re-tweeted and followed during the course of every month. I read and appreciateevery comment and every effort to help me spread the word brought a smile to myface. Contemporary YA Month really wouldn’t have worked without you all, thankyou.

Sophie

Contemp YA Month: Rockaholic - CJ Skuse

2012-01-30T00:00:00.000Z

Rockaholic– CJ Skuse

Pages: 365

Publisher: ChickenHouse

Release Date: 7^thMarch 2011

Other Titles by this Author: Pretty Bad Things

Jody’s obsessed with a rock star.

At Jackson Gaitlin’s concert,she’s right at the front. But when she’s caught in the crush, Jody’s carriedbackstage. Throw in concussion, a super-wired superstar, and a Curly Wurly –and she finds herself taking home more than a poster.

OMG! Jody’s kidnapped him. Butwhat happens when the rock star in her garage doesn’t want to leave?

Jody’s stuck between a rock idoland a hard place!

CJSkuse’s second novel is just as brilliantly mad-cap and filled to the brim withlaughs as her first.

Ihave to say that one of the things I looked forward to the most while reading Rockaholic was starting a new chapterbecause the titles are made of awesome. I mean, you don't come across manybooks that have chapter titles like ‘Too Posh To Mosh’, ‘Softly, Softy, Catch aJunkie’ and ‘Jody Pothead and the Half-Assed Snail’ very often, do you? I lovethem – they’re utterly brilliant.

Jodyis completely nutty – in the best way, of course. The way she stumbled into kidnapping Jacksonwas absolutely hilarious and I can’t imagine it happening to many other people,but her, definitely. Her all-consuming love for Jackson Gaitlin and his bandThe Regulators is beyond anything I can comprehend – she’s obsessed. Herconviction in them is amazing. It wasn’t just this that made her stand outthough. Jody has left school after finishing her GCSE’s and is now working fulltime and that is not something that I’ve come across very often, if at all, inYA and it really threw me.

ThoughI don’t recall ever really feeling the way about a band that Jody does, Idefinitely remember that single-minded conviction that some person, someonecompletely out of reach, if utterly perfect for you. That that person willcomplete you and fix everything wrong in our life. Jody gets the shock o herlife when he’s not the dream she imagined and I was heart-broken for her. Evenafter Jody’s experiences, I’m still convinced that my hero, in a different wayto how Jody sees Jackson, will be just as amazing as I imagine if, *when*, Iget to meet her. I’d be curious to see if anyone can guess who she is...?

With brilliant escapades, characters to fallin love with and YA references scattered throughout, Rockaholic is a lovely way to see out Contemp YA Month.

Thankyou to Chicken House for providing me with a review copy.

Sophie

Contemp YA Month: Guest Review - Clover's Favourite Contemp YA Authors

2012-01-29T00:00:00.000Z

Today I would like to welcome the ever-lovely Clover whoblogs over at Fluttering Butterflies. She isgoing to share with us the contemporary YA authors who have stolen her heart.Over to her:

First of all, I'd like to say ahuge thank you to Sophie for having me on her blog today! I adore Sophie's blogand I love the idea of Contemp YA month. I'm so pleased to be here and to bewriting about a subject that I love!

I would describemyself as a pretty diverse reader; I enjoy paranormals and dystopian fiction.I've been known to read science-fiction and fantasy. I read books for youngerreaders; I read adult fiction and even the occasional non-fiction book. But, myfavourite is by far contemporary YA. I just connect to it emotionally betterthan anything else and for me that is the deciding factor between books that Ilove and books that are just all right. And contemporary books are so diverseanyway, there is so much to explore and enjoy! I thought today, I would writejust a little bit about some of my favourite contemporary YA authors.

Melina Marchetta - I think Melina Marchettais a genius, I really do. How on earth does she write such gorgeous storieswith such fascinating, interesting and flawed characters? How does she make mecare SO MUCH within such a short period of time?

I read Looking For Alibrandi first, and I was awed. EverythingJosephine Alibrandi said or did or thought and I believed it, because it feltreal and honest. SavingFrancesca instantly becameone of my favourite ever books because of the sensitive way in which depressionis handled and also this wonderful group of friends that is collected together(not to mention the romance!). And then I read Jellicoe Road and that was it. Jellicoe Road is so amazing there doesn't seem to bethe words to describe it. I love the vulnerability of Jellicoe Road, the grief, therelationships, the secrets, just everything about it. But if ever there was abook that destroyed me so utterly and completely, it's The Piper's Son, the companionnovel to Saving Francesca.

With each book ofMelina Marchetta's that I read, I find my heart being broken into teeny tinylittle pieces and I will never be the same again.

Sarra Manning -I'd heard of Sarra Manning's name before, but I didn't pick up any of her booksuntil I read her first adult novel, Unsticky. I loved it so much that Iwent immediately to the library and read what I could. I devoured Let'sGet Lost and Guitar Girl within days and luckily itwasn't long until Nobody's Girl was published and that bookreally cemented my love of her stories. I love the complex romanticrelationships in her stories and how feisty and wonderful her female charactersare.

Nobody's Girl kept me company during a difficult fewdays and it made me want to go travelling and meet gorgeous, foreign strangersand fall in love in Paris. I'm dying to read her latest books out in 2012! Gethere quicker.

John Green -Hopefully by the time this post is published, I'll have already devoured TheFault in Our Stars, but for now, I'm still patiently (!!) awaiting formy signed book to arrive. I have been a huge nerdfighter since.. forever,really. I love John and Hank's videos and I've sat through them all, despitenot getting to them until at least two years in.

I remember hearinga great deal about Looking ForAlaska when it came out inAmerica, but I wasn't all that keen on reading it. For some reason, I thoughtit to be a book about the wilderness .. in Alaska. I'm an idiot. Looking for Alaska turned out to be a very sweet andawkward story. I think the thing I loved the most about Looking for Alaska, and alsoJohn Green's books are the great friendships between male characters. There'sgreat bonding and dialogue there. I read AnAbundance of Katherines nextand found the maths and the nerdiness really put a smile on my face. And Paper Towns was really something worth waitingfor, as I'd witnessed through John's videos, his writing process. When I read Paper Towns, I had John's voice in my head becausehe'd read aloud the first chapter. My favourite of John Green's books though isprobably Will Grayson, WillGrayson that he co-wrote withDavid Levithan. For the amazing characters and that very special ending.

Courtney Summers -Now Courtney Summers, she's amazing. I am absolutely in awe of her and herwriting. Her books are so emotional and her characters go through suchdifficulties and as a reader, I feel like I am sucked into her books socompletely that I become her main characters. And in doing so, feel andexperience everything that her characters have to deal with.

Picking up Cracked Up To Be was a complete whim on my part. Ihadn't heard of the book or the author, but something about it intrigued me.And I remember sprawling on the floor in my computer room reading this book. Onthe floor, because I couldn't be bothered to get up and sit on a sofa or chairbecause that would take me away from reading. When I saw she'd publishedanother book, I bought it without even reading the synopsis. It was by CourtneySummers, that's all that mattered. And SomeGirls Are was a difficultbook to read. There was so much emotion and guilt and heartache that I sobbed.It was one of those ugly and messy cries that take over everything when I read Some Girls Are.

And while herlatest, Fall for Anything,wasn't quite as emotionally impactful as SomeGirls Are, I still found myself easily falling into this story of grief andasking the difficult questions after a loved one's suicide. Courtney Summersnew novel is apparently about zombies, but I hope she'll return after with thatwith more contemp!

I don't want thispost to be miles long, but there are so many wonderful contemp YA authors outthere that I love. Phil Earle's books BeingBilly and Saving Daisy are incredible and had me crying likea baby. I love Keren David's books, especially When I Was Joe. I was reallyamazed by I Am the Messenger and also FightingRuben Wolfe and Getting the Girl by Markus Zusak. I adore novels byKeris Stainton and Luisa Plaja and Maureen Johnson. Every time a book comes outby Susane Colasanti or Sarah Dessen or Elizabeth Scott comes out, I do my happydance. I could happily write forever about my favourite authors, but I shallleave you with this list for now!

Thank you so much, Clover!

Sophie

Contemp YA Month: Someone Else's Life - Katie Dale

2012-01-28T00:00:00.000Z

SomeoneElse’s Life – KatieDale

Pages: 478

Publisher: Simonand Schuster

Release Date: 2^ndFebruary 2012

One secret can change everything.

When Rosie Kenning’s mother,Trudie, dies of Huntingdon’s disease, her whole world falls apart. Not onlydoes Rosie miss her mum, but now she has to face the fact that she may haveinherited the fatal disease herself. Until she discovers that Trudie wasn’t herbiological mother at all...Rosie is stunned. Can this be true? Is she grievingfor a mother who wasn’t even hers to lose? And if Trudie wasn’t her mother, whois?

But as Rosie delves into her pastto discover who she really is, she is faced with a heart-breaking dilemma – tocontinue living a lie, or to reveal a truth that will shatter the lives ofeveryone around her...

I’mnot entirely sure where to start with SomeoneElse’s Life. While I appreciated and enjoyed its complexity and emotionalintensity, it annoyed me more than I loved it.

Someone Else’s Life isextremely clever. Interspersed between the chapters detailing Rosie’s story areunnamed chapters from the point of view of a character who’s identity we don’tknow of. At first, I was completely in the dark. Then I thought it might be herbirth mother or maybe even Rosie from before her mother got sick. I was wrongand I was glad to be – it was rather genius, actually. For me, this was one of thestrongest aspects of Someone Else’s Life.

Itwas probably the characters that stopped me from fully enjoying Someone Else’s Life. Rosie reallyannoyed me. I understood that she was confused, angry and hurting inunimaginable ways, but the way she treated some of the people around her wasbordering on awful, especially Andy. An incredibly sweet guy who’s willing tosupport you through the toughest time in your life blindly and help you inevery way you can deserves treasuring, not continually abandoning. I justcouldn’t understand how she made the same massive mistake over and over again,well, I could, I just didn’t understand how she couldn’t see what she wasdoing.

Theprotagonist of the chapters I mentioned earlier turned into a major componentof the novel, turning Someone Else’s Lifeinto a dual narrative, in fact. And I didn't like her either. It would bevery difficult to explain exactly why without giving anything away, but she wasmoody, vindictive and frankly, a bit of a bitch. I mean, she like Rosie hadreasons, but it still put my back up. it’s hard to get too emotionally involvedwith a novel where the two main characters annoy the hell out of me.

KatieDale saves herself with style, intrigue and cleverness. Someone Else’s Life deals with lots of issues that pose a strongmoral debate and the characters response to these situations inspire seriousdiscussion – I couldn’t even begin to imagine making some of the decisions theyhad to make during the novel. On top of these thoughtful and often deepdilemmas, Katie Dale kept me on a wave of drama. Poor Rosie barely had a momentof down time and I could hardly take a breath between dramas.

Ialso learnt a lot about something that I knew very little about beforehand:Huntington’s disease. I knew it was degenerative and incurable but that waspretty much it. I now have a much clearer understanding of just how devastatinga disease it is for both the sufferer and their family. having your life turnedso completely upside down like Rosie’s is unimaginable and I really hope thatthey find a way to manage or even sure it soon.

WhileI had some pretty serious problems with SomeoneElse’s Life, Katie Dale’s style and intelligence is enough to make me wantto read more of her books in the future.

Formy 2012Debut Author Challenge, 2012Contemporary YA Challenge

Sophie

Contemp YA Month: How Contemporary YA Got Emma Pass a Book Deal

2012-01-27T00:01:00.002Z

Today I have Emma Pass, 2012 debut author of ACID, which will be published by Random House in early 2013.

How Contemporary YA got me a book deal (even though I don’t write it)

First of all, I have a confession to make. Although I count authors such as Keith Gray, Kevin Brooks, Sarah Dessen and John Green among my all-time favourites, ACID, my own YA debut which comes out in 2013, is a dystopian thriller set 100 years in the future. And I’m working on a second novel that runs along similar lines.

So what am I doing writing a blog post about contemporary YA?

I started writing Young Adult fiction in 2002, after struggling for many years to write for adults. Up until then, I wasn’t enjoying my writing or my reading, but I couldn’t work out why. All that changed when I signed up for a short course run by YA and children’s author Linda Newbery – who has written many contemporary novels – and I read some of her books before I went. I enjoyed them so much I tried books by other YA authors… and then more books… and a couple of months after the course, I had a revelation. Why not try writing the contemporary adult novel I’d been struggling with for several years as a contemporary YA novel?

The end result was pretty horrible, and – quite rightly – was rejected by every publisher and agent I sent it to. But I was hooked, and started writing another, also a contemporary YA. This novel never even made it as far as being submitted to publishers, but it did win me a free critique with a leading manuscript assessment and editorial advice service. The feedback I got from them convinced me that I was on the right path and I started a third YA novel – yet another contemporary.

This one did go out on submission. After a few rejections, Carolyn Whitaker of London Independent Books asked to see more. And after working on the book with me for a few months, she started sending it out to publishers.

In the end, it was a near miss. I got some great feedback, but the novel didn’t get picked up, and I started to realise that maybe, as a writer, contemporary wasn’t the right genre for me. So the next novel I started was what would eventually become ACID, which sold in the summer of this year.

But even though I don’t write it any more, I still love to read contemporary YA. My characters might live in a world which has changed drastically from the one we know, but they still fall in love; they still have families; they still have issues; they still have to struggle to figure out the people around them and deal with the consequences when they don’t get it right. For me, the characters are what make the books in any genre work, and contemporary YA has, I hope, taught (and will continue to teach) me a huge amount about how make mine relatable and real. I have a lot to thank it for!

Thanks, Emma!

Sophie

Contemp YA Month: The Summer I Turned Pretty - Jenny Han

2012-01-26T00:00:00.000Z

TheSummer I Turned Pretty – JennyHan

Pages: 276

Publisher: Simonand Schuster (US)

Release Date: 21^stDecember 2010

Other Titles in the Series: It’s Not Summer Without You,We’ll Always Have Summer

Some summers are just destined tobe pretty.

When each summer begins, Bellyleaves her school life behind and escapes to Cousins Beach, the place she hasspent every summer of her life. Not only does the beach house mean home awayfrom home, but her favourite people are there: Susannah, her mother’s bestfriend, and her sons, Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly has been chasing Conrad for aslong as she can remember, and more than anything, she hopes this summer will bedifferent. Despite distractions from a guy named Cam and lingering looks fromConrad’s brother, Jeremiah, Belly’s heart belongs to Conrad. Will he offer histo her? Will this be the summer that changes everything?

Ihad heard endless good things about Jenny Han’s Summer trilogy so when I decided to do Contemp YA Month, I knew Icouldn’t let it pass without reading TheSummer I Turned Pretty. Boy, am I glad I didn’t.

Thisnovel caused me much indecision. You see, there was a love quadrangle. I can’tremember the last time I came across one of those. There is Cam who is sweet,if a little bland; Jeremiah who is one of her best friends and worships theground Belly walks on; and then there’s Conrad, the moody, bad boy who Belly’sloved since she can remember. Cam never really came into the picture for me, Ifelt he was kind of a stepping stone to getting one of the brothers, if I’mhonest. At first I was all in favour of Conrad, then in the middle I wascheering for Jeremiah and then I switched back to Conrad. But by the end...Ijust couldn’t decide. Both boys, while very different, are brilliant YA heroes.

Therewas a lot more to The Summer I TurnedPretty than the love story, though and I have to admit that I wasn’t reallyexpecting there to be. There are family problems for both Belly and the boys, arather serious and dramatic issue that I won’t go into as I want it to surprisenew readers like it did me and the changing of friendships as you grow older. Ithink that there’s something in this novel that every teenage girl, andeveryone can remember being a teenage girl, can relate to.

Anotherof my favourite elements of The Summer ITurned Pretty is the flashback chapters. I loved how each was related tothe current-time chapter that came before or after it. They were very nicelydone. They didn’t feel thrown in at all; they were completely natural. I alsoliked how Belly’s age at each of the flashbacks was stated at the beginning ofthe chapter. Not knowing a characters age at a certain point, or in a novel ingeneral, is something that really gets on my nerves so I was very pleased tohave that given out immediately.

Iloved The Summer I Turned Pretty andI’m now eagerly waiting for my copy of It’sNot Summer Without You to come through my letterbox.

Ipurchased a copy of this book myself.

Sophie

Contemp YA Month: How Hannah Mariska Discovered Contemporary YA

2012-01-25T00:01:00.001Z

Up today is Hannah Mariska, a fellow book blogger who hosts at My Book Journey. Enjoy!

In the past few years, my reading habits have increasingly tended towards the paranormal side of the Young Adult market, and often when I visited a bookshop or library, I would give contemporary YA a contemptuous sniff. I just didn’t quite understand what was so different or special about it. As I started picking up contemporary YA books for the first time a few months ago, I really thought that I would miss the vampires, witches and werewolves and feel like something was lacking from ‘normal’ YA stories. But the more I read, the more I came to realise that by relying less on magical theories, supernatural mysteries and paranormal gifts, contemporary YA authors work a lot harder developing their characters to make the story feel true to life and genuine.

I was amazed at the different characters that I came across, from those that I could really relate to like Bea from Nobody’s Girl who had an overprotective mother and trouble standing up for herself, to the characters whose backgrounds were quite far removed from mine, like in Kill All Enemies whose characters were entrenched in violence and family neglect. When Bea first faced up to the mean girls I practically jumped with joy, but I also came to understand those characters different from me and why they bullied others, hated school or generally made trouble. Seeing what their family lives were really like was truly heartbreaking and sad.

Whether I’ve been reading debut authors or well established authors, all of the characters felt very real because they had flaws, they made mistakes and sometimes the wrong decision. With a fair amount of paranormal YA the characters often seem glossed over; the female protagonists are generally good looking, their boyfriends are gorgeous and charmingly nice. There may be the odd skeleton in the closet or family issue, but these aren’t usually central to the story and therefore aren’t at the forefront of the plot or the character's thoughts. In fact, the types of problems the protagonists face aren’t usually ones we can necessarily relate to. Well, I’ve never been bitten by a vampire or had to learn how to control my magical powers (I’m still waiting in hope though!).

The issues that are touched upon in contemporary YA stories are often heartbreaking, complex and serious, although they can also be inspiring and motivating. From drug use, prostitution, family abuse and living in care, these issues reflect what happens behind closed doors in our own neighbourhoods, but that we rarely see. What’s more, the way you get to understand why the characters are the way they are makes you realise that sometimes people’s lives aren’t always in their control, such as Candy who spiralled little by little from a nice middle class family into a world of heroin addiction and prostitution without realising it was even happening. I’ve certainly had my eyes opened and will be more appreciative of what someone might be dealing with in their private lives before I start judging them.

But it hasn’t all been doom and gloom - I’ve also read about some really cool places and things like travelling across South America in Wanderlove, making cakes in The Sweetest Thing, kissing on Paris’ Pont Neuf in Nobody’s Girl, and living in a sustainable yurt in This Girl is Different.

None of these books though has been predictable or boring. They have all been eye opening, refreshingly different and honestly true to real life. So next time I’m browsing the shelves for something to read I certainly won’t be passing over contemporary YA for its paranormal counterparts.

Thanks, Hannah!

Sophie

Contemp YA Month: Pretty Bad Things - CJ Skuse

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000Z

PrettyBad Things – CJSkuse

Pages: 265

Publisher: ChickenHouse

Release Date: 1^stMarch 2010

Other Titles by this Author: Rockaholic

Twins in candy-store crimespree...

I know what you’re thinking.Tearaway teens. Yadda yadda. Maybe you’re right. But we’re all out of choices.

Last time we made headlines, Beauand I were six-year-old ‘winder twins’. Little kids found alive in woods afterthree days missing, looking for our dad.

We’ve just hit sixteen and life’snot so wonderful. In fact, it sucks out loud. Still no Dad. Still lost. Stilllooking.

But now we’ve got a clue whereDad could be. Everything’s changed. It's a long shot, but we’ve got nothing tolose. In the words of Homer Simpson, seize the donut.

Pretty Bad Things isa quirky, funny and immensely entertaining.

Throughdual narration, we get to hear from both Paisley and Beau, and you’d behard-pushed to get two more opposing characters. Paisley is spiky, angry andhard for most of the novel – she’s one of those characters that you probablywouldn’t like in real life, but can’t help but love in a novel. She’s a littleinsane really and I can’t imagine how Beau put up with her. Beau on the otherhand is very sweet and studious: the absolute reverse of Paisley. All the poorboy wants to do is read and learn! But by the end of the novel, you can seethat the two are most definitely related...

Pretty Bad Things israther bizarre in its plot line (ergo, awesome): a crime spree in Las Vegassweet shops. I loved it. I want to visit so many of the shops that theytargeted – America is literally a sweet-lover’s dream. And Las Vegas soundsamazing. The lights! The mad-cap hotel themes! The rides! Man, I want to go. Itwould probably be better if I waited until I’m twenty-one, however; then I canfully appreciate it.

Ihave to admit that Paisley’s single-mindedness in searching for her dad wasimpressive. For the entire time that her and Beau were in Vegas I was waitingfor Paisley’s illusions about her dad to be shattered. And wow was I worriedabout how she’d take that.

Ireally have no idea why I waited to read Prettybad Things for so long, but now I’m all set with Rockaholic and read more of CJ Skuse’s fantastic writing.

Ipurchased a copy of this myself.

Sophie

Contemp YA Month: The Fault in Our Stars - John Green

2012-01-22T00:00:00.000Z

TheFault in Our Stars – JohnGreen

Pages: 313

Publisher: Dutton(Penguin US)

Release Date: 10^thJanuary 2012

Other Titles by this Author: Looking for Alaska; An Abundance of Katherines; Paper Towns; Will Grayson, Will Grayson (withDavid Levithan)

Despite the tumour-shrinkingmedical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anythingbut terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeousplot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group,Hazel’s story is about to be rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, andraw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning-author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreakingwork yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business ofbeing alive and in love.

Idon’t really know how to put my feelings about The Fault in Our Stars into coherent sentences and not spoil thestory. But I shall try my hardest. Promise.

Iguess I should start with Hazel. All of the words I could use to describe herdon’t really seem enough: strong, fragile, snarky, spunky, angry, sad, wittyand completely lovable. I’m in awe of how John Green is able to write a girl sowell; I think he must just have a really good understanding of people. And hehas serious skills. He got inside her head and touched on all of her fears,insecurities and wants, both related and unrelated to her illness. Haze is thetype of girl who you’d be glad to know, even though she wouldn’t think so. Herobservations and reflections on life are incredibly astute and things that Iknow would never cross my mind. Before reading The Fault in Our Stars I couldn’t even begin to understand what itwould be like to be her, but now I know a little more.

Andthen there’s Augustus. Oh, Augustus. John Green really does know how to writethe most incredible guys – though he’s not perfect by any stretch of theimagination. He’s clever, funny, sweet and really loves Hazel, but thensomething changes everything and he reacts in the way that most teenage boyswould – he struggles. It was probably one of the most heartbreaking section ofthe novel when Augustus begun to come undone, and there were many of thesemoments. I adore this character.

JohnGreen handled the reality of cancer and its wide repercussions beautifully.Okay, so in order to explain why this touched me so deeply, I’m going to haveto go pretty personal: you’ve been warned. My mum has been suffering fromcancer since 2007 and so, while with obvious differences, I understood whatHazel’s parents were going through and now that she’s been told that it’llnever be cured, I empathise even more. The situations are very dissimilar inquite a few aspects, however. The struggles, the fear and the depression werehandled beautifully and, I think, accurately and I have so much respect for himfor not shying away from the horrible reality of a disease such as cancer.

Asyou can probably imagine because of what I just said, I reacted very stronglyto The Fault in Our Stars. I devouredthe first 250 pages with occasional bursts of sniffles and then I had to put itin the freezer – I just couldn’t read it anymore; I was coming undone. I’venever, ever had to do that before. My housemate even stopped cooking and cameand gave me a hug.

The Fault in Our Stars isstunningly beautiful, heartbreaking, funny, endlessly clever and easily one ofthe best books that I’ll have the honour of reading for a long while.

For2012Contemporary YA Challenge

Sophie

Contemp YA Month: Guest Review of How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

2012-01-21T00:01:00.002Z

How to Save a Life – Sara Zarr

Pages: 341

Publisher: Little, Brown

Release Date: 18^th October 2011

Other Titles by this Author: Story of a Girl, Sweethearts, Once Was Lost

From Goodreads: Jill MacSweeny just wishes everything could go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she's been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends--everyone who wants to support her. And when her mom decides to adopt a baby, it feels like she's somehow trying to replace a lost family member with a new one.

Mandy Kalinowski understands what it's like to grow up unwanted--to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, one thing she's sure of is that she wants a better life for her baby. It's harder to be sure of herself. Will she ever find someone to care for her, too?

As their worlds change around them, Jill and Mandy must learn to both let go and hold on, and that nothing is as easy--or as difficult--as it seems.

Critically acclaimed author and National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr delivers a heart-wrenching story, told from dual perspectives, about the many roads that can lead us home.

I’d like to welcome the lovely Sammee from I Want to Read That and thank her for her fabulous guest review of Sara Zarr’s How to Save a Life. Over to Sammee!

How To Save a Life is the second book by Sara Zarr that I have read. Having read and really enjoyed Story of a Girl I had high expectations for this one and I’m pleased to say it didn’t disappoint.

One of the things I really love about Zarr’s books is how character driven they are. It’s all about the characters – what drives them, how they feel, what they want – that I can’t help but be completely engaged in the story. In How to Save a life we get a dual narrative – which I love – and have the story told from Jill and Mandy’s point of view.

I fell in love with Jill immediately – she has that snarky vulnerability I just love – very independent but also so obviously crushed by her father’s death. Mandy on the other hand was a character who grew on me – suddenly I found myself really loving her and I had no idea when it happened. But it’s the combination of the two perspectives that really makes this work. Through Mandy’s eyes, you see how incredibly lucky Jill is to have the family and friends she has, and Jill manages to make you believe that the ending is the only possible outcome.

I also loved Dylan - with all my heart. He’s just so great to both Jill and Mandy and it’s really nice to have a couple who may or may not be together but who are friends anyway. They have a gentle way with each other even when they are arguing. I though Ravi was an interesting character too – very different from Dylan but I understood Jill’s interest.

I think the story is a very honest portrayal of grief – coming to terms with what has happened and trying to move on with your life. You may not be the same person you were before but it shows how you can move forward and how you can accept love back into your life.

Thanks so much, Sammee!

Sophie

Contemp YA Month: My Contemporary YA Idols - Sarah Dessen

2012-01-18T00:00:00.000Z

Someof you may remember that I dedicated a postto explaining my love for Sarah Dessen two summers ago, but I couldn’t write aseries of posts on my contemporary YA idols and not write about my favouriteauthor and biggest inspiration. I will try to not to repeat myself, but when Istart on the awesomeness of Sarah Dessen, I don’t stop easily...

Icould wax lyrical about her timeless bildungsroman stories, her effortlesslyrelatable girls and the legendary Dessen boys, but there are other littlethings that I love, too. Lots and lots of them. Maybe it’s odd, but sometimes asetting can just tips the scale into perfection and Sarah’s do that. Her twoimaginary towns in North Carolina; Lakeview and Colby, are places that I wouldmove to in a heartbeat. Obviously that has nothing to do with the possibilityof bumping into Wes, Owen or Dexter... But, seriously, there’s just a feelingabout the small southern town of Lakeview. Maybe it’s because it’s completelyalien to me, but a place where everyone knows each other and helps each otherout sounds, well, rather wonderful, to be honest.

Thenyou have Colby. It’s by the sea. I’m sold on that. There’s boardwalk, a row ofsweet little shops, including Clementine’s, the boutique Auden’s step-mum ownsin Along for the Ride and the Last Chance Cafe that does the bestonion rings and where I could finally try a shrimp burger. After eleven booksset in either of these two places, it feels so familiar, it’s like going tothat place you went every summer as a child – it brings back so many memoriesand it gives you that warm, comforting feeling. But what I love most aboutSarah’s settings is the fact that characters from older books pop up now andagain. There’s nothing better than catching up with old friends and seeing ifthat love actually worked out. We’ve yet to come across my favourite Dessen boyagain though; Wes from The Truth AboutForever – I would really like to see him again.

Idon’t quite know what it was about TheTruth About Forever that captured my heart so completely. It may have beenthe suffocating grief and guilt that both Macy and Wes are suffering that ishandled beautifully and sensitively; the game or Truth they play to get to knoweach other; the confrontation in the library; or maybe it was all of thosethings and so many more than I didn’t even consciously notice. But it hasremained my favourite of Sarah’s even though I read at least six of her booksafter that.

There’salso something about This Lullaby thatmakes me recommend it over and over again. Dexter is incredibly charming and isone of those lovable characters that worms his way into your heart and refusesto leave; Remy learned that very quickly! Remy is a difficult girl, but abrilliant character. She has issues ranging from abandonment and trust to faithin love and having to be an adult too soon. Together, polar opposites Remy andDexter fit together perfectly. I also love the musical thread that runs throughThis Lullaby, it’s an element thatmakes this novel stand out among Sarah Dessen’s other novels.

Andfinally you have Along for the Ride, Sarah’s2009 novel. Auden and Eli are lonely and isolated in their own little worlds,and when they meet, their secrets unfold in a way that only Sarah Dessen canachieve. I ached for Auden. She struggling to deal with her new familysituation and how drastically her life had changed and her soft, slow andincredibly realistic connection with Eli only helped her figure things out.There was of course some romantic drama, but it was natural and almostinevitable after their night-times escapades to introduce Auden to the world ofa teenager.

SarahDessen’s novels don’t have the punch-in-the-stomach impact of most of the booksthat make you go ‘wow!’. Instead, they build so steadily and concretely thatyou can’t even imagine forgetting them or not having these people in your head.Her exquisitely drawn characters are a pleasure to get to know and I do feel I know them once I turn the lastpage; it feels like I know them inside out. Sarah knows how to tap into theconsciousness of a teenage girl and exactly what will make their lives,thoughts and feelings a little easier to understand and bare.

Ican’t imagine the YA world, or my world, for that matter, without Sarah’sbooks. She is my first port of call for contemporary YA recommendations, butshe seems to be a bit hidden in the bookshops under the piles of paranormal,fantasy and dystopians, that while are brilliant, just can’t match the words ofthis incredible writer. Reactions vary from “Well, I don’t really like lovestories” to “But there’s no action” and I hope that this month of posts andreviews will encourage a few people who stay away from contemporaries branchout and experience what made me fall in love with YA.

Similar authors to try: SusaneColasanti, Jenny Han, Stephanie Perkins, Lauren Barnholdt

Sophie

Contemp YA Month: Why Adults Prefer YA

2012-01-16T00:01:00.001Z

Today, I’d like to welcome Catherine Bruton, author of the We Can Be Heroes.

I started writing YA for a group of grown-ups. Actually, that’s not 100% true but it’s at least half way to verifiable fact. The thing is that I wrote ‘We Can be Heroes’ for my pupils (when I’m not penning novels I moonlight as a secondary school English teacher) but I also wrote it for my lovely grown up book group who – like so many contemporary adult readers I know - quite simply prefer YA.

Perhaps it’s best if I go back to the beginning and explain. I’d been writing for ages. I’d even had an adult novel published but then I had babies (two of them in quick succession – with disastrous effects on literary output, I may add). But after I’d got over the ‘pram in the hallway’ syndrome (about which I could write a whole other blog – or four!) I joined a book group, had an epiphany and became a young adult writer. Paradox? Not in my book.

The thing is that my book group was made up of knackered, time-poor, nappy-brained mums and, apart from teenagers, there is no more discerning group of literary critics than sleep deprived women. Where once upon a time we were prepared to indulge writers in their literary pretensions, now we didn’t have the time or the patience. But neither did we want to settle for literary pulp. We spent our day times with the Telly tubbies and Thomas the Tank Engine in our reading we really, really wanted to reclaim our brain cells.

So we demanded fiction that was intellectually and emotionally fulfilling but which was also accessible. And by accessible I don’t mean easy reading – I mean that if a book stood any chance of being read it had to demand our attention more noisily than our offspring (or our beds!). To stake a claim upon a slice of our day more vociferously than all the many other clamorous demands upon our time it had to be really damned good!

So we read a lot of contemporary fiction – or we tried to – but many books were abandoned half-read, discarded, given up on in exasperation, boredom or sheer exhaustion. Some felt like an endurance experience, others like some kind of test.

And then we discovered YA. Meg Rosoff came first – then Mal Peet and Frank Cottrell Boyce (he counts as YA, right?) We even flirted with Twilight (but middle-aged women with embarrassing teen vampire fantasies is a topic for another blog altogether!) Then we whizzed back to old school YA – Salinger and Hines and du Maurier (because the term YA may be neologism but the concept dates back way longer than the phrase!). We were a group of thirty something women, highly educated, well read – and yet every single one of us loved YA. And that was when I had my epiphany – and when I started writing again.

What I admired in the YA novels we read was the fact that they achieved extraordinary emotional impact yet with an economy of style and language that made a lot of adult authors (myself very much included) look positively self indulgent. And it made me realise that as a writer I’d been aspiring towards something (literary heights, I suppose) which I thought were only to be achieved through dense clotted prose – through flights of anadiplosis, zeugma, chiasmus and pathetic fallacy (forgive me, I am an English teacher – I like all those long words, especially anadiplosis cos it sounds like a friendly dinosaur!). But reading YA made me realise that the same impact could also be achieved through an economy of style, through sparse prose, through distillation rather than elaboration. After all, great literature should not require a degree or a classical education to appreciate it; reading should not be a test of endurance or a proof of arcane knowledge; and a plot driven, character rich, page-turning novel can also be one which leaves you breathless and thinking about it for weeks.

I’m not dissing adult fiction. In fact, I’m not actually trying to differentiate between adult and YA novels here because great fiction has always put the reader first. It is just that some contemporary adult fiction seems to have lost its way. Meanwhile the YA audience increasingly forces a certain discipline upon writers which is, in my opinion, conducive to incredibly exciting prose.

I teach English Literature to secondary school students so I know that the teenagers are the most demanding readers in the world. For many teens to be persuaded to pick up a book it doesn’t just need to capture their imagination; it needs to hold it hostage, grab it by the balls and refuse to let go till the final sentence. Because why should they bother otherwise? Unlike certain adult readers of my acquaintance, they aren’t out to prove anything in their reading. So unless mean Mrs Bruton (or the pesky GCSE examiner people) insist on them reading a book, they aren’t going to drag their attention away from Twitter – or Call of Duty – or Glee – for anything that isn’t flipping awesome!

If novels are to compete with modern media then it must learn from it, and YA fiction has been quicker to do so than its adult counterpart. And contrary to what some critics may say, this does not mean books dumbing down – it means raising their game. Because advances in modern media mean that YA readers have higher – not lower – expectations from fiction. Accustomed to hi-tech modern medium story-telling, teen readers demand immediacy and pace (perhaps the reason why so much YA fiction uses the first person and often the present tense too); they want high impact visual imagery (hence the poetic distillation often found in contemporary YA); and they insist on emotional punch along with a ‘no holds barred’ engagement with both eternal themes and the most controversial and challenging topics of the day.

Which is why I don’t just love reading YA; I love writing it! I love the freedom it gives me to meld together disparate influences, to be playful and serious, combining literary with levity, old with new. Personally, I’ve always been a sucker for teen trash TV – old school 90210, Dawson’s Creek, Glee, Heathers, TOWIE – I even love High School Musical (should I be admitting this?) but I can also analyse the hell out of Shakespeare and if you want me to go Post-Structuralist on the Victorian novel or do a Post Colonial deconstruction of ‘The Wasteland’ I’ll be your A* student. And whilst I always felt my love of Hamlet was incompatible with my Hannah Montana habit, writing YA gave me the opportunity to fuse the two.

‘We Can be Heroes’ pays homage to both Hannah and Hamlet; it’s inspired by ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and ‘Northanger Abbey’ but also by ‘Veronica Mars’, ‘Alex Ryder’, ‘Son of Rambo’, ‘This is England’ ‘Ways to Live Forever’ and ‘Anita and Me’. I get to use Manga alongside the epistolary form (there’s even a Manga comic strip in the back); juxtapose Google with ‘Great Expectations’; and what’s more I get to engage with the biggest questions of the today: terrorism, religious extremism, Islamophobia, but also address timeless topics like bereavement, loss, families and friendships.

Personally, I think that YA has always existed. It’s just that some clever marketing bod decided to give it a new name, package it in a sparkly new genre and give it the bookshop shelf space that affords. But books beloved of young and old have been around as long as the novel has. Du Maurier, Salinger, Jean Rhys, Barry Hines ... can I go controversial here and suggest Jane Austen (apart from Persuasion) Emily Bronte and Dickens? Books that push the boundaries of the form, embrace the new along with the old, keep pace with the most demanding of readerships and simply insist on being read. That’s the YA formula so it’s not exactly a no brainer is it - that’s why so many grown-ups love YA!

Contemp YA Month: Lola and the Boy Next Door - Stephanie Perkins

2012-01-15T00:00:00.000Z

Lolaand the Boy Next Door – StephaniePerkins

Pages: 338

Publisher: Dutton(Penguin US)

Release Date: 29^thSeptember 2011

Other Titles by this Author: Anna and the French Kiss

Budding designer Lola Nolandoesn’t believe in fashion...she believes in costume. The more expressive theoutfit – more sparkly, more fun, more wild – the better. But even though Lola’sstyle is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plansfor the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rockerboyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to theneighbourhood.

When Cricket – a gifted inventor– steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she mustfinally reconcile her feelings for the boy next door.

Assoon as I finished Anna and the FrenchKiss, I ordered myself a copy of Lolaand the Boy Next Door with a promise from Keristhat I’d love it even more. I loved it – I’m fast becoming a Stephanie Perkinsfan-girl.

Ithink that one of Stephanie Perkins’s strengths is in the little things – thedetails and side plots of her characters. With the synopsis alone you’re led tothink that Lola and the Boy Next Door willbe a cute, swoon-worthy romance with not a considerable amount of substance.While it is most definitely swoon-worthy, Lolaand the Boy Next Door is a lot more than that. Lola has two dads for a start and it isn’t even made a big deal of,it just is; her birth mother has serious problems; and Cricket has afascinating family and family history and he draws and writes things on theback of his hand constantly. It’s with these details that flesh out thecharacters to become people that I would love to get to know.

Lolais funky, quirky and incredibly cool; Cricket is beautifully tall, an ingeniousinventor and a total sweetheart; Calliope is a character that you don’t reallyget to know firsthand, but I was incredibly intrigued by and Max has a ’64Chevy Impala which makes him instantly cool for any fans of Supernatural. And then you have Anna andEtienne from Anna and the French Kiss whohave a fairly substantial role in the novel and it was lovely to catch up withthem and see how they’re doing now they’re back in the US and going to college.

LikeAnna and Etienne, Lola and Cricket have a sizzling connection. I know she lovedMax, but it was so obvious how she felt about Cricket that annoyed me that shecouldn’t see that she should be with him. Even if Max did have an Impala.Though I do understand why she had so much trouble, you couldn’t find two moredifferent guys who are equally lovable in certain ways. But she definitely madethe right decision in the end.

Iloved Lola and the Boy Next Door andif Isla and the Happily Ever After turnsout to be as good as its predecessors, then Stephanie Perkins could easilybecome one of my favourite authors.

Sophie

Contemp YA Month: Cover Reveal - Emma Hearts LA by Keris Stainton

2012-01-14T00:00:00.000Z

TodayI am honoured to reveal the cover of Keris Stainton’s third novel, Emma Hearts LA. Isn’t it awesome!

Synopsis:Emma’s just arrived in Los Angeles, amillion miles away from all her friends, and any chance of a boyfriend.

Unless you count dull old Oscar –which she doesn’t. Not at first, anyways.

Teen heartthrob Alex might havepotential too. If she can get him away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi,that is.

Two boys, unlimited sunshine, anda new life among the stars. Maybe LA’s not that bad, after all.

Emma Hearts LA willbe released 7^th June 2012 by Orchard Books. I’m very excited forthis book and I hope you guys are too.

Abig thank you to Keris and Orchard for allowing me to share the cover.

Sophie

Contemp YA Month: Luisa Plaja's Top 5 Recent Favourites

2012-01-13T00:01:00.001Z

Today I’m honoured to welcome Luisa Plaja, author, blogger and general superstar of the blogosphere. Thanks, Luisa!

5 Recent Favourite Contemp Reads
by Luisa Plaja http://www.luisaplaja.com

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of the so-called lighter side of contemporary teen fiction. I love reading realistic coming-of-age tales. I always enjoy seeing characters sorting out their issues, making friends and building relationships. I love romance. And the best stories of all for me are the ones that show all this and also manage to make me laugh.

I have far too many favourites to mention, so instead I’m going to list the last few contemporary novels I enjoyed. I recommend them all!

Fringe Girl, and Fringe Girl in Love by Valerie Frankel
These books are full of strong, funny and quirky characters. The storyline of the first one is irresistible, with Dora endeavouring to start a social revolution at her school. I particularly enjoyed reading about Dora’s embarrassing, loving parents.

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
This story of friendship, art and love is just beautiful in every way, as well as being realistic and moving. I urge everybody to read it!

10 Things We Shouldn’t Have Done by Sarah Mlynowski
Here’s a story that grabs you immediately – you can’t help but be drawn in by the characters and their intriguing situation from the very first page.

The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott
Elizabeth Scott is brilliant at writing realistic family and friendship drama as well as deep, swoonworthy romantic connections. This book is no exception.

Waiting For You by Susane Colasanti
All the Susane Colasanti books I’ve read have featured great relationships that develop slowly and meaningfully over a long period of time. Her stories are always absorbing and this particular one really evokes that feeling of just waiting for something amazing to happen…

The Boyfriend Thief by Shana Norris
This is a moving, funny and romantic story that stayed with me long after I finished it.

There are so many more contemporary novels I love – I could go on all day! And I’m always looking for more, if anyone has any recommendations…

Thank you very much for having me on So Many Books, So Little Time, Sophie!

My pleasure, Luisa.

Sophie

Contemp YA Month: Forget You - Jennifer Echols

2012-01-13T00:00:00.000Z

ForgetYou – JenniferEchols

Pages: 292

Publisher: MTVBooks (S&S US)

Release Date: 20^thJuly 2010

Other Titles by this Author: Endless Summer, Major Crush, TheEx Games, Going Too Far, Love Story, The One That I Want

Why can’t you choose what youforget...and what you remember?

There’s a lot Zoey would like toforget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four-year old girlfriend.Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervousbreakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feelinglike her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only wayshe knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s theperfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend toultra-popular football player Brandon.

But then Zoey is in a car crash,and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all – the entire nightbefore. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why doesit seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug – of all people – suddenlyacting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her fromthe wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it wasmore, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled,meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of herlife – a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full ofDoug.

Forget You isthe second book I’ve read by Jennifer Echols and I loved it just as much as Idid Going Too Far.

Ihave to admit that it took me a couple of chapters to connect with thecharacters in this novel. Zoey is so controlled and perfect in the beginningthat it takes time for her to unravel and me to warm up to her; Doug went frombeing an ass to a sweetheart over the course of a couple of pages, the twinsseemed shallow and annoying and her dad is just plain horrible. But at the sametime, I think that’s what I liked about ForgetYou – the characters were people who I could have gone to school with;they’re realistic. Jennifer Echols isn’t afraid to broach subject that realpeople have to deal with and she doesn’t shy away from harsh or embarrassingrealities.

Whenit came to the wreck and Zoey’s not remembering it, she drove me mad. The wayshe refused to admit that she had no memory of the events during and justbefore it even though there would have been people who she could easily haveasked was infuriating. I did fit perfectly with her character, however, andmade the revelation of the events even more shocking. I also found herblindness to the right thing to do about choosing between Doug and Brandonhighly annoying because the right choice was so glaringly obvious! The strangething is that these things are also what made me really like her. The way thatshe began to let herself go and become her real self as a result of thesedilemmas really endeared me to her.

Ireally enjoyed Forget You and I’mdefinitely going to get myself a copy of LoveStory the next time I order from the US.

Sophie

Contemp YA Month: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight - Jennifer E Smith

2012-01-12T00:01:00.002Z

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight – Jennifer E. Smith

Pages: 215 (ARC)

Publisher: Headline

Release Date: 5^th January 2012

Ever wondered about the probability of falling in love at first sight? Two people are about to find out...

Meet Hadley. She’s feisty, and romantic, yet vulnerable. She’s also about to miss the flight from New York to London for her father’s wedding to a woman Hadley’s never met.

Meet Oliver. He’s sensitive, witty and charming. He has his own reasons for not wanting to fly home to London.

They’re about to embark on the flight of their lives.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight has received a ridiculous amount of praise from the blogosphere in the months leading up to its release and for good reason – it’s awesome.

I was expecting a light, fluffy and heart-warming read with TSPOLAFS and that’s what I got, but with something I didn't actually expect: a little depth. There was deep, emotional family drama and all of the confusion, anger and resentment that comes with that which I wasn’t anticipating. It was a lovely surprise that added strength to the characters. And they were already pretty damn cool characters.

Oliver is absolutely adorable: scruffy, funny, witty and clever (he goes to Yale!). Hadley is spunky and full of life and I’d love to be her friend. They suited each other brilliantly and made a perfect couple – I was cheering them on from the second Oliver offered to watch her bag. Although they did have a kind of insta-love, it was the very best kind because I believed it.

After making me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight made me want to jump on a long-haul flight to anywhere to meet an Oliver. A beautiful and uplifting read that will make you grin like an idiot.

For 2012 Debut Author Challenge, 2012 Contemporary YA Challenge

Sophie

Contemp YA Month: Virtuosity - Jessica Martinez

2012-01-10T14:05:00.000Z

Virtuosity - Jessica Martinez

Pages: 292

Publisher: Simonand Schuster

Release Date: 27^thOctober 2011

All her life, Carmen has knownshe has to be the best. And she’s wanted it as much as her family, puttingeverything aside for her music. But now she’s met Jeremy – a fellow competitorfor the prestigious Guaneri music prize – and she’s beginning to think there’smore to life than playing the violin. Jeremy seems to understand her more thananyone else. But does he really care about her, or is he just out to win thecompetition?

Carmen has a choice to make:between following the path her whole life has been steered towards, or taking astep into the unknown with someone she’s not sure she can trust. Because tryingto win everything could mean losing it all...

Ididn’t really know what to expect from Virtuosity,but I ended up loving it.

Iwas entranced by Carmen’s struggles. And her had quite a few of them. First,you have her pushy and domineering mum/manager who literally runs her life forher. Carmen is not allowed to do anything outside of her permission and she isrigorously controlled, everything is geared to her winning the Guaneri prizethat would make her career. There is little thought given to Carmen’s wants andhappiness and it’s really rather heart-breaking. At nearly eighteen, she’s hadnone of the social experiences that a normal girl her age has and she’sbeginning to resent it.

Nextup is the beta-blockers that Carmen takes to help her with her anxiety whenperforming. Her reliance on them is introduced subtly and as a part of lifeinitially. It isn’t until a little later that you realise what a problem itactually is, and then you learn how it began and it made me angry, I have toadmit. Her strength and resilience when it came to this topic was handledbeautifully by Jessica Martinez and I was very, very impressed with thesensitivity and delicacy that she approached it with.

Andthen came another problem: a boy-shaped problem. Jeremy is incredibly talented,good-looking and seems to understand Carmen. But he’s also her biggest threatto winning the Guaneri prize. I have to admit to being completely unsure forquite a lot of the novel what Jeremy’s motives were. Sometimes I thought hisintentions were sincere, and others I mistrusted him intensely. Martinez keptthe tension and suspense around his going for just the right amount of time andwith enough energy to keep me genuinely in the dark.

Virtuosity hada shocking twist that was extremely unexpected and brought up a serious dilemmafor Carmen. I didn’t see it coming at all, which is always good! After Carmenfigured out what she wanted to do, the story came to a natural and open ending,that while a sequel would be entirely possible, I really hope Martinez leavesCarmen’s final decision to me.

Ithoroughly enjoyed Virtuosity and I’meagerly anticipating whatever she has for us next.

Abig thank you to S&S for providing me with a review copy.

Sophie

Contemp YA Month: Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins

2012-01-09T00:00:00.000Z

Annaand the French Kiss – StephaniePerkins

Pages: 372

Publisher: Dutton(Penguin US)

Release Date: 2^ndDecember 2010

Other Titles by this Author: Lola and the Boy Next Door, Islaand the Happily Ever After (2012)

Anna was looking forward to her senioryear in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush onthe verge of becoming more. So she’s less than thrilled about being shipped offto boarding school in Paris – until she meets Etienne St Clair. Smart,charming, beautiful, Etiennehas it all...including a girlfriend.

But in the City of Light, wisheshave a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with theirlong-awaited French kiss? Stephanie Perkins keeps the romantic tensioncrackling and the attraction high in a debut guaranteed to make toes tingle andhearts melt.

Thisnovel has received a ridiculous amount of hype since it’s release over a yearago and so naturally I bought myself a copy. Why on earth did I not read itstraight away?!

There’ssomething I have to get out of the way before I try and write this reviewproperly: Etienne St Clair. Okay, I’m good. But his smile, his hair, his senseof humour, his being a sweetheart... Right, I’m really done complimenting himnow. Pft, no I’m not! I literally want one for my birthday. I had highexpectations and he exceeded them effortlessly; there was a lot more to himthan I was anticipating. I was completely suckered by his defence of Anna andall of the little things that a girl hangs on. I also loved that he was alittle unconventional in a few ways and that only made him more adorable.

Nevertheless,he wouldn’t be quite so awesome without Anna to bounce off. She’s charming,witty and so, so likable. Anna’s far from perfect but she’s real and I couldimagine being very good friends with her. The way that her and Etienne were soclose and how deeply they cared about each other but couldn’t do anything aboutit made me choke occasionally. Everyone could see how perfect they weretogether but a few crossed wires, misinterpretations and insecurities just madethe tension get more and more fraught and it was literally sparking b the timeit all came to a head. It was frustrating, addicting and extremely romantic.

AndParis. Oh my goodness, Paris. I can’t quite articulate how much more Anna and the French Kiss has made mewant to go to Paris than I already do. I want to walk around the City of Lightwith a beautiful boy who knows stories about everything, I want to stand onpoint zero and have a moment in Notre-Dame. I want to try the hot chocolate andthe beautiful sounding cakes, I want to see a film in one of the old-schoolcinemas and duck out of the rain into Shakespeare and Company. I want to fallin love in Paris.

Justin case you hadn’t realised, I loved Annaand the French Kiss and I’m already waiting for my copy of Lola and the Boy Next Door to arrivethrough my letterbox. Stephanie Perkins could easily become one of my favouriteauthors.

Ipurchased a copy of this book myself.

Sophie

Contemp YA Month: My Contemporary YA Idols: Sarra Manning

2012-01-08T00:01:00.001Z

I remember the very first time that a Sarra Manning novel made it into my heart very clearly. But what I didn’t know then was that that little, innocent-looking would introduce me to a woman who would become one of my favourite authors and begin a serious love-affair with toxic boys.

We stopped at the library with my Nan and little sister on my way home from school. Nan went to peruse the large print titles while Amy sat in the Thomas the Tank Engine train style-bookcase (yeah, it was awesome) and I headed for the swirling shelves of teen books. This was still new territory for me; I was only twelve or thirteen. I picked it up because of the title: Diary of a Crush: French Kiss – it sounded like the perfect read. I started it that evening and finished it that night. And then I started it again. While I was at school the next day, sleep deprived after staying up half the night re-reading French Kiss, my Nan went back to the library to pick up the next two books in the trilogy for me.

I couldn’t even tell you how many times I’ve read this trilogy, not just those library books that I read over and over until I had to return them and then the copies that I bought which are now rather battered (and signed *squee*). Then I made it my mission to hunt down every other book that Sarra Manning has out. Sadly, Sarra only had two other novels out, Guitar Girl and Pretty Things. I devoured them. I’ve waited anxiously for every other novel she’s published to come out and have either pre-ordered it or went to buy it on release day. I suffered with Isabel in Let’s Get Lost, joined the Fashionistas on their adventures, and felt a ridiculous kinship with Bea in Nobody’s Girl. I have to admit that though I own all of Sarra’s adult novels, I haven’t gotten around to them yet.

I was thinking about what it is about Sarra’s novels that capture me so much and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s her heroines, especially Edie, Isabel and Bea. To me, they’re real people. I could have gone to school with them, been friends with them, or in Bea’s case, been her. Edie is smart and sharp with an incredible fashion sense and a major weakness for beautiful art boy, Dylan. When I first read French Kiss I wanted to be her! She has insecurities, whiney moments, kick-ass scenes (throwing Mia’s clothes out of the hotel window in Paris and pushes Veronique in the toilet pit thingy at the festival spring to mind!) and friend issues. She’s a normal, but extraordinary, girl who happens to get tangled up in a boy who no girl would ever be able to get out of her brain. I wanted to be the kind of girl that Edie is.

Then you have Isabel from Let’s Get Lost whom I have virtually nothing in common with. Nevertheless, I understood her - I felt her grief, confusion, anger and her guilt. For part of the novel, Isabel just isn’t very nice, and yet it didn’t matter because Sarra Manning made me love her anyway. When she begins to fall in love with the mysterious Smith, her walls begin to crumble and the hurt and damaged Isabel comes out along with her heartbreaking story. I remember sitting out in the garden reading the end of the book with tears streaming down my face. A book hadn’t made me cry like that in a very long time.

Sarra’s latest YA novel is Nobody’s Girl starring Bea: boring, not popular, pretty or funny. According to her, that is. She doesn’t think very much of herself at all so when the gorgeous popular girls at her school invite her on holiday with them, she jumps at the chance. Their holiday doesn’t quite go as planned and so Paris-obsessed Bea jumps on a train to the City of Love. She never was the boring girl she thought; it just took some girls who needed teaching a lesson and one of Edie’s trademark toxic boys to draw her out of shell. She still remained a dreamer who kept hold of her romantic notions and I seriously respected her for that and at the time I read it, we had a lot of the same values and hopes and I felt a kinship with her that I haven’t found in a novel in a long time.

Needless to say, I’m eagerly anticipating Sarra’s next YA novel, Adorkable, which is released in May and I look forward to meeting and falling in love with Jeane and another toxic boy.

Sophie

Blog Tour: Cinder - Marissa Meyer

2012-01-06T00:01:00.001Z

Cinder – Marissa Meyer

Pages: 372 (ARC)

Publisher: Puffin (Penguin)

Release Date: 6^th January 2012

A forbidden romance.

A deadly plague.

Earth’s fate hinges on pe girl...

Cinder,

A gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She’s reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen – and a dangerous temptation.

Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth’s future.

I wanted to read Cinder from the second I heard about it, but I didn’t expect to fall so completely in love with it. It’s really, really brilliant.

The idea of this novel alone – a re-telling of Cinderella complete with cyborgs – is absolutely genius. Set a few hundred years in the future, the world has merged into seven unions to keep peace across Earth. Cinder lives in New Beijing in the Eastern Commonwealth where cyborgs are slaves and looked upon with serious prejudice, androids are an everyday sight and a deadly plague is creeping across the earth. Then you have the mysterious and foreboding Lunars... Marissa Meyer has created a vivid and fascinating world that mixes our world and a new one rather intriguingly. There is also a hint of the media and technology of Scott Westerfeld’s dystopian Uglies quartet that I find really interesting; it always makes me wonder what’s in store for my descendents a few hundred years in the future.

Aside from the many things I could praise about the plot if Cinder, there are the fantastic characters. Cinder herself is spunky, strong and sarcastic in the face of her horrible stepmother and stepsister and the verbal abuse she receives from those who know her secret. She also has an unusual talent: a brilliant mechanic, which I thought was a really nice addition to her tomboy image. However, she was in no way one-dimensional. Cinder has serious insecurities and a lack of self-worth that relates to her being a cyborg and only seems to progress throughout the novel. I love her, I really do – she’s an amazing protagonist.

Cinder also has some fantastic supporting characters to have her back. Her android, Iko, who has a brilliant sense of humour and a rather unusual personality for an android; Peony, her younger stepsister who is her only friend; the mysterious Dr Erland and the gorgeous Prince Kai. I didn’t fall for Kai straight away, he grew on me slowly with his deep love for his country and people, his rebellious nature and strong sense of what is right and wrong, good and bad. He also has an extremely beautiful name.

With such a good cast of characters, I expected a brilliant antagonist from Marissa Meyer and that’s what I got in Queen Levena – she is genuinely terrifying. Her power and complete lack of a moral compass made her extremely dangerous and a massive threat to Cinder, Kai and the world in general. She’s the type of villain that makes you wonder if the hero and heroine are actually going to win in the end and I was constantly worrying about it. Levena is a brilliantly drawn character.

I expected The Lunar Chronicles to be four standalone books set in the same world that were loosely interlinked, but after the ending of Cinder, I’m no longer sure. But I’m very eager to find out. Now I’m going to leave you with three words: read it now! You won’t regret it, I promise.

For my 2012 Debut Author Challenge, 2012 Dystopia Challenge

A huge thank you to Puffin for sending me a copy for review.

Sophie

Blog Tour: The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman and Q&A

2012-01-05T00:01:00.007Z

The Book of Blood and Shadow – Robin Wasserman

Pages: 465 (ARC)

Publisher: Atom (Little, Brown)

Release Date: 19^th January 2012

Other Titles by this Author: Skinned, Crashed, Wired

From Amazon UK: It was like a nightmare, but there was no waking up. When the night began, Nora had two best friends and a boyfriend she adored. When it ended, she had nothing but blood on her hands. Chris was dead. Adriane couldn't speak. And Max, Nora's sweet, smart, soft-spoken Prince Charming, was gone. He was also—according to the police, according to her parents, according to everyone—a murderer. Desperate to prove his innocence, Nora's determined to follow the trail of blood, no matter where it leads. But Chris's murder is just one piece in a puzzle that spans continents and centuries. Solving it may be the only way she can save her own life.

The Book of Blood and Shadow is a complex and intriguing paranormal novel that has built up a lot of pre-publication anticipation.

I have to admit that I struggled with this novel at first. I was often lost and there were so many things to focus on that my, admittedly sporadic, attention wandered. There wasn’t anything that I instantly grabbed onto in the beginning as we already knew that Chris had died and so seemed to lessen the suspense of the beginning of the book. It was my curiosity that kept me reading The Book of Blood and Shadow.

Once I got used to not really knowing what was going on, I became fascinated by the idea of the Lumen Dei. It’s something that almost everyone thinks about at least once: what if you could get a mainline to God? Even for those not at all religious, it’s an intriguing idea and one that would spark serious controversy. For there to be a lost book that details how to build a machine to achieve this, is rather mind-blowing. And it got Nora, Max, Adriane and Chris into some major trouble.

Robin Wasserman writes a novel that is at once a traditional and unusual paranormal novel. Nora is incredibly lonely and suffering from grief which she is studiously denying; that’s pretty standard, but her brother’s death isn’t the forefront, in fact, it’s not really a part of the story very much. Then you have the relationship that developed between Nora and Max in the beginning of The Book of Blood and Shadow. It was soft, gentle and natural and rather unusual in the field of paranormal YA, and though it didn’t carry on in the same vein, its origins definitely made an impact.

Though I didn’t enjoy The Book of Blood and Shadow nearly as much as I wanted and expected to, I’m sure it’ll be a massive hit with fans of paranormal YA.

I’d now like to welcome Robin to So Many Books, So Little Time and thank her for taking the time to answer some of my questions.

1. Is there a specific time or place that you do your best writing in?

Much as it horrifies my teenage self, I’ve grown up to be a morning person, and I usually get my best writing done before noon. On a usual writing day, I’m up and out of the house around 9, and quickly settled into my favorite coffee shop (read: whichever neighborhood coffee shop I happen to be least sick of that week). I stay there until I’ve met my word count for the day, which sometimes takes only an hour…and other times, takes all day (and several cookies).

2. If you were only allowed to take three books to a desert island, what would they be? Why?

I actually have a whole shelf of books that I’ve read and re-read (because for a long time I owned very few books—I was raised on libraries, so buying books became a once-in-a-very-long-while treat). Which means I know which ones hold up best under re-reading. I would probably take my beat-up copy of Stephen King’s It, because I find it shockingly comforting (for a book about an evil clown, that is) and it always bolsters my spirits when I have to face down some kind of terrible challenge. Like, say, a lifetime in a tropical paradise. I’d also pack David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest, because although Wallace is one of my all time favorite authors, I still haven’t made it all the way through this book. (I’ve read the first hundred pages about a hundred times over the years.) I suspect I could keep reading this, and only this, for the rest of my life, and still not get out of it everything Wallace managed to cram in. Finally, I’d toss in Are We Alone, a children’s book by Ben Masselink about two kids trapped on a desert island. I read this over and over when I was growing up, and somehow lost track of not only the book, but the author and title—I’ve spent the last fifteen years hunting it down, and now that I have, I’m not about to let it out of my sight again. Plus, it contained very useful information about eating coconuts and killing poisonous snakes.

3. Is there a novel you wish you’d written? Why?

It’s a great question, and a strange one to answer, because while of course in theory I would love to be the author of any novel I respect, in practice, I’d hate to rob myself of the enjoyment of being a reader of most of those books. But every once in a while, something comes along that I desperately wish I’d done (or at least thought of) myself, and this year, that’s happened with two non-fiction books, both of them graphic novels, which is a genre it’s never occurred to me to try: Feynman, by Jim Ottaviani and Leland Myrick and Logicomix by Apostolos Doxiadis. The first tells the story of a scientist and the second of a philosopher, but both of them break down amazing, complicated ideas into a compulsively readable form and pair them with some remarkable art. The Feynman one in particular broke my heart, as I’m a huge history of science nerd (and Feynman is one of my favorites), and have long been searching for a palatable way to put that passion into a book without putting readers to sleep. Ottaviani and Myrick beat me to it, so brilliantly that I can’t even be jealous.

4. Quite a few foreign languages make their way in The Book of Blood and Shadow. Can you speak any of them?

I wish! I can read Hebrew and understand a few words of it (and there are no more than a few words of it in Blood and Shadow, so that hardly counts), but I’m afraid that to my regret, I never took any Latin. And despite having now visited Prague and having spent many, many, many hours studying my phrasebook, I wouldn’t even trust myself to say the words for “please” and “thank you” without sounding like an idiot. I speak (well…“speak,” in the sense that I can read and write a little and carry on a kindergarten-level conversation) French and German, so if there ever is a sequel, maybe I should think more carefully about where that one’s set…

5. Have you always been interested in alchemy?

Ever since freshman year of college, when I read Arthur Koestler’s The Sleepwalkers, I’ve been fascinated by the scientists and philosophers of the Renaissance and the way science, magic, philosophy, and religion mixed so freely in that period. And “mixing” isn’t even exactly the right word to use—it’s more that they were, in a sense, different parts of the same body of knowledge. It wasn’t just that you couldn’t draw clear boundaries between them, it’s that no one would have thought to make the effort. It was nearly impossible for me to imagine, but over the years I’ve had a lot of fun trying.

6. I imagine you had to do lots of research for The Book of Blood and Shadow. What was the most interesting thing you discovered?

Probably the fact that, according to the legend of Prague, the city was founded by a witch—a prophetess who chose the location based on a dream. For a time, she ruled the city, but she was eventually forced to give up power to a man—which led to a massive revolt among the women, who supposedly slaughtered hundreds of men before they were defeated. It was such a richly violent and mystical story, and really a case of fact perfectly matching up with fiction—I couldn’t have asked for a better founding mythology to use in the book I was planning to write.

7. In The Book of Blood and Shadow, you were essentially writing two different stories: Nora’s and Elizabeth’s. Did one end up capturing you more than the other?

Well, the bulk of the story really belongs to Nora, so I’ll admit that she’s a little closer to my heart (and it probably doesn’t hurt that her concerns are a lot more concrete and real to me than the troubles of a girl from the sixteenth century). But the thing about Elizabeth is that she’s a real historical figure: Elizabeth Jane Weston, who grew up to be one of the most famous female poets in history. Very little is known about her childhood and adolescence—other than the fact that she was the stepdaughter of the alchemist Edward Kelley and accompanied him to Prague—so of course everything that happens to her in the book is my invention. But writing about a real person was a strange thing for me—like Nora, I began to feel a real responsibility to Elizabeth, as if I was telling the truth about her after all, and owed it to her to get her story right.

8. Are you working on anything at the moment? Can you tell me anything about it?

I’ve started on a new project, which has me a little terrified, and not just because it’s a horror novel. All I can say about it at this point is that it’s big—lots of characters, lots of pages, lots of things happening—and at the moment, it seems a bit like an insurmountable monster of a project. But that’s often how books feel before they’re done. Writing a book is like building a scale model Taj Mahal out of toothpicks—if you pause to think about what you’re doing and whether you’ll manage to get it done, all is lost. Which is why when it comes to first drafts I just barrel through, eyes closed, hoping I make it to the end!

A big thank you to Atom for providing me with a review copy, organising the blog tour and setting up an interview with Robin.

Sophie

Contemp YA Month: Torn - Cat Clarke

2012-01-04T00:01:00.001Z

Torn – Cat Clarke

Pages: 372

Publisher: Quercus

Release Date: 22^nd December 2011

Other Titles by this Author: Entangled

Four girls. One dead body. A whole lot of guilt.

Alice King isn’t expecting the holiday of a lifetime when she sets off with her classmates on a trip to the Scottish wilderness, but she’s not exactly prepared for an experience beyond her darkest nightmares...

Alice and her best friend Cass are stuck in a cabin with Polly, the social outcast, and Rae, the moody emo-girl. Then there’s Tara – queen of mean. Powerful, beautiful and cruel, she likes nothing better than putting people down.

Cass decides it’s time to teach Tara a lesson she’ll never forget. And so begins a series of events that will change the lives of these girls forever...

A compelling story of guilty secrets, troubled friendship and burgeoning love.

Entangled was one of my favourite books from earlier in the year so I was extremely excited to receive a copy of Cat Clarke’s sophomore novel. And I absolutely loved it.

I have to admit that shortly after starting Torn I was starting to wonder if it was a contemporary novel at all, though I’m not going to tell you why. There was an element of the story that could have been taken in a few different ways and though I was sceptical at first, I soon decided on what made it a psychological thriller like Entangled. I think this doubt is definitely one of my favourite things about Cat Clarke’s writing though and I hope it’ll become a trademark of her novels.

Tara is a very fascinating character. I mean, she was horrible and I hated her, but she was interesting. I completely understood why Alice, Cass, Polly and Rae wanted to get their revenge on her; I would. Nevertheless, there were glimpses of Tara through Alice’s memories and Jack’s stories that hinted at a character that I’d love to learn more about. Although I wanted to know more about her, I couldn’t always find it in myself to feel too sorry for her (yep, I’m a horrible person!).

I think that characters are Cat Clarke’s strength. I felt Alice’s entire struggle. I felt her guilt over Tara, her indecision about Jack, her feelings of blame, but also her desperate attempts to carry on with her normal life. As well as this there was the underlying theme of Alice’s physical insecurities and issues about her body that weren’t made a big deal of. They were just a part of her, a part of nearly every girl. Even though Alice’s experience isn’t something that most people experience, Cat still managed to fully engage me in her thoughts and her story.

Torn is a gripping, suspenseful and emotional novel that I devoured in an afternoon. Cat Clarke is quickly establishing herself as one of the best writers in YA and I can’t wait to read what she has up her sleeve for us next.

Sophie

Contemp YA Month: Guest Review of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

2012-01-03T00:01:00.000Z

Today, I would like to welcome Viv from Serendipity Reviews. She will be guest reviewing the much-loved Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson which I’ve always meant to read.

This edition published by Hodder Children’s Books (imprint of Hachette Children’s Books) in 2008

Pages – 230

Opening Lines

It is my first day of high school. I have seven new notebooks, a skirt I hate, and a stomach ache.

Goodreads Summary

When Melinda Sordino's friends discover she called the police to quiet a party, they ostracize her, turning her into an outcast -- even among kids she barely knows. But even worse than the harsh conformity of high-school cliques is a secret that you have to hide.

************

This book is one of those stories where you are fully aware that something has happened to the main character but you are not really sure exactly what occurred. You could hazard a guess, but you might be slightly off the mark. You know that Melinda used to have a social life before she called the police to an illegal party, but it takes a while before you find out what actually happened. I found myself getting rather impatient to know the truth when it still wasn’t revealed by the middle of the book.

That doesn’t mean to say that I didn’t enjoy the book because I did. I found it to be a very powerful and moving story. I felt such empathy for Melinda and could hear her cries for help from her silent voice. Melinda’s traumatic experience caused her to shut down her emotions in order to block it out, which leads to her becoming a selective mute. She suffered for a whole year, spending all her time on the outskirts of the school’s social life and yet she had done nothing to warrant her outcasted position. She had suffered traumatically, and yet was still suffering long after the fateful night because she was too frightened to talk about it. Yet amidst all the anguish, Melinda does have a humorous side to her, which helps her survive the minefield known as high school. Only you as the reader can see the real Melinda, and you find yourself morphing into her as you feel her pain and anguish as well as being able to see the hilarity of the school system.

Melinda’s parents really annoyed me. To begin with they could not see that she was suffering and when they did realise it, they really didn’t do a lot to solve the problem. It shows how parents can often fail to listen to what is not being said.

I loved the use of symbolism throughout the story. The use of the trees throughout Melinda’s art work project seemed to reflect her growth as she began the year quite stunted in her abilities to socialize and join in, but as time passed and her mind began to heal, she began to branch out to reach her old friends for support. As her artistic trees began to flourish, so did her social life. This book also brought in the history of the suffragettes which again showed how Melinda needed to be heard.

This book gives a very clear picture of how high school works and it really isn’t pretty. The cliques that occur in school are over emphasised to reflect the idiotic nature in which they are formed. The Martha’s resemble an identical parade of Barbie Dolls with their matching outfits. The author is excellent at poking fun at the international high school hierarchy system.

The way that rape is dealt with in this book, made it easier to read. It is one of those subjects that I find difficult to read about, but I found the author dealt with the incident delicately.

This book shows how one voice can make a difference. If just one person stands up to a bully, it can often create a domino effect, where others will stand up to tell the truth. From one message on the wall, Melinda became a hero in the end.

A book to make you laugh and cry whilst pinpointing the absurdity of high school cliques.

Thanks, Viv!

Sophie

Contemp YA Month: Ten Things We Shouldn't Have Done - Sarah Mlynowski

2012-01-02T00:01:00.001Z

Ten Things We Shouldn’t Have Done – Sarah Mlynowski

Pages: 328

Publisher: Orchard Books

Release Date: 4^th August 2011

Other Titles by this Author: Bras & Broomsticks, Frogs & French Kisses, Spells & Sleeping Bags, Parties & Potions, Gimme a Call, How to be Bad

I was about to live a sixteen-year-old’s dream.

House on the beach.

No parents.

Parties whenever we wanted.

Boys whenever we wanted.

April and her best friend, Vi, are living by themselves. Of course, April’s parents don’t know that. It’s a little white lie that begins the ten things April and Vi shouldn’t have done – things that definitely make their lives a LOT more interesting.

From Skipping School (#3) and Throwing a Crazy Party (#8) to Buying a Hot Tub (#40) and, um, Harbouring a Fugitive (#7), April’s story is hilarious, bittersweet – and not for the faint-hearted...

The basis of this novel is every teenagers dream, and like most of those dreams, April’s doesn’t do quite as planned...

One of my favourite elements of Ten Things We Shouldn’t Have Done is the way it’s set out. Each chapter is one of the ten things that April and Vi got up to and each chapter is then broken down into subtitles of what made up the story of that number – it was very clever and unusual. I really enjoyed reading each title and wondering how on earth they got into each situation.

I have to admit that this novel wasn’t quite what I expected. I was anticipating a very light and slightly superficial story about two girls taking full advantage of living on your own at sixteen: boys, alcohol, parties and very late nights. And it was, but there was a bit more to it as well. I was constantly questioning whether Vi’s mum has been around very much at all and whether she was really touring in Mary Poppins as Vi was remarkably good at looking after herself and the house for a sixteen-year-old. There was also focus on losing your virginity and everything that comes with that and the serious responsibilities that living on your own brings. It was almost as if they were living university life a couple of years early.

Ten Things We Shouldn’t Have Done is a quick, fun and very sweet novel that I’d recommend as a brilliant way to spend a rainy afternoon.

For my 2012 Contemporary YA Challenge

Sophie

Welcome to Contemporary YA Month

2012-01-01T00:01:00.001Z

Firstly, Happy New Year! I hope you all had a good night last night and are ready for an awesome year of books.

As a few of you may know, this themed month didn’t come into being in a very normal way. I was assigned to write a blog post for my creative writing class and I chose a topic that I’d been thinking about recently: how paranormal YA is pushing contemporaries out of the forefront (which my tutor didn’t like, incidentally). Then I put it up on the blog and I had a brilliant, and much unexpected, response. It turns out that lots of you agreed with me and so I decided to dedicate So Many Books, So Little Time to some amazing contemporary novels for the month of January.

I’ve dug out some of those contemporary novels that have been pushed aside by the hugely popular paranormals that have come through my letterbox and stolen my attention and give them the notice they deserve along with some fabulous novels that will be released early this year. You can look forward to reviews of:

Torn by Cat Clarke

Kill All Enemies by Kevin Brooks

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Rockaholic by CJ Skuse

Someone Else’s Life by Katie Dale

And more.

I also have some really fantastic guest posts from authors and bloggers lined up about just how awesome contemporary YA is! I have the likes of Luisa Plaja, Catherine Bruton and Emma Pass on the authorial side and the fabulous Hannah, Sammee, Viv and Michelle representing us bloggers. I will also be spotlighting/fangirling about a few of my very favourite authors of contemporary YA.

I hope that you’ll enjoy embracing contemporary YA and if you want to join in by posting your own discussions or reviews then that’d be brilliant. Steal the button and send me the links so I can let everyone know.

Enjoy!

Sophie

The Best of 2011 (According to Me...)

2011-12-31T00:01:00.000Z

My original plan for this post was to do a Top Ten of 2011. Then I sat down and started to list my favourites and realised I’d gone a little overboard. When I tried to narrow it down I ended up arguing with myself over a few books and so I decided that in order to save my sanity I’d just highlight all my favourites. And here they are!

Blood Red Road, Moira Young

This is possibly the best debut of 2011. Written in dialect, Saba’s voice shines and jumps off the page with its originality and character and helps you to fall in love with a vivid and beautifully drawn character. Young’s world-building is pretty damn impressive, too. You won’t regret reading this.

Divergent, Veronica Roth

This book needs very little introduction – it’s taken the blogosphere by storm. The kick-ass Tris, gorgeous Four and the fascinating five factions, Divergent has it all. Veronica Roth has left us all craving the sequel, Insurgent.

Baby Be Mine, Paige Toon

Paige Toon’s fifth novel is the only adult novel I read and reviewed this year because there isn’t an adult author’s books that I love as much as I do hers. As the sequel to the beloved Johnny be Good, fans had high hopes. And we were given everything we could have wanted. I cant wait for Paige’s next, One Perfect Summer.

A Small Free Kiss in the Dark, Glenda Millard

This beautiful little book blew me away. Skip’s narration is hauntingly beautiful and I love the way that he views his broken world. I don’t think that A Small Free Kiss in the Dark got nearly as much love as it should have done. Go and read it, guys!

What Happened to Goodbye, Sarah Dessen

As you should all know by now, Sarah Dessen is my queen. I begin counting down until her next novel seconds after finishing her latest and I’m never disappointed. Dessen’s characters are the most realistic in YA (in my opinion) and I would happily live in one of her novels. Partly because I’d get a legendary Dessen boy...

Forever, Maggie Stiefvater

Maggie Stiefvater’s beautiful, melodic prose is one of a kind. The conclusion to Sam and Grace’s story was set to be heartbreaking and utter fantastic. And it really, really was. I was pretty devastated that this trilogy ended, to be honest. It was a good job Maggie’s latest, The Scorpio Races, came out a few months later.

Undead, Kirsty McKay

This is another book that could contend for my favourite debut of the year. Kirsty McKay’s blend of dark humour, brilliantly likable characters and non-stop action makes for a book to fly through.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini Taylor

Laini Taylor’s UK debut is also a book that needs very little promotion. The stunning imagery and mesmerizing mythology has captured everyone who has picked up The Daughter of Smoke and Bone. After a breathless ride through the dark and twisting streets of Prague, the next instalment of Karou’s story is top of everyone’s wishlist.

Ashes, Ilsa J Bick

I loved this book so much. Ashes was extremely atmospheric and gripping because there wasn’t the omniscient ‘this is what happened’ sense, but we were in exactly the same position as Alex. And Alex is a perfect protagonist. She’s angry, damaged and ready to take on the world. Could you ask for a better guide through a post-apocalyptic America?

Last Breath: A Morganville Vampires Novel, Rachel Caine

This series is one of my absolute favourites. Characters that I’ve become wholly invested in, non-stop action and a mythology that keeps on growing – I love The Morganville Vampires. And this, the eleventh instalment, had some of the most heartbreaking scenes and my favourite ending of the series so far.

Pegasus, Robin McKinley

I’d never read Robin McKinley before this. And I have no idea why. Soft, gentle and utterly beautiful - this book crept up on me and jumped straight into my heart. High fantasy doesn’t always work for me, but the incredible world-building and the perfect pair of main characters, Sylvi and Ebon. This book made me want to live in her world.

The Iron Knight, Julie Kagawa

My love for this series is never-ending. Julie Kagawa has a beautiful writing style that I fall into effortlessly and never want to leave. Her descriptions of the Nevernever make me want to risk my life for just a glimpse of it and Ash, oh my goodness, Ash. He’s a faery Winter Prince, do I need to say anything else.

I also have to give a shout out to Marissa Meyer’s 2012 debut Cinder that I won’t be reviewing until the 5^th – it completely blew my mind. So, so good.

I’ve read some amazing books this year and I’m sure next year will be even better.

Sophie

Trapped - Michael Northrop

2011-12-29T13:45:00.000Z

Trapped – Michael Northrop

Pages: 325

Publisher: ATOM (Little, Brown)

Release Date: 15^th December 2011

Other Titles by this Author: Gentlemen

The day the blizzard started, no one knew that it would keep snowing for a week.

Scott and his friends are among the last seven kids at their school waiting to be picked up that day and they soon realize that no one is coming for them. Still, it doesn’t seem so bad to spend the night there, especially when Krista and Julie are sleeping just down the hall.

Then the power goes out. Then the heat. The pipes freeze. The roof shudders. As the days add up, the snow piles higher, the empty halls grow colder and darker and the mounting pressure forces a devastating decision...

Trapped is a tense and gripping novel of survival in an unforgiving situation.

I have to admit that my favourite element of this novel was reading from the perspective of a teenage boy. Most of the novels I read are about girls and from their minds so it’s very refreshing to hear from the other side. Scotty’s narration is brilliant to read. He feels authentic in his comments on the people he’s been stranded with, including the gorgeous Krista who he’s fancied for ages, and I loved how nervous he was around her – it’s reassuring to know that guys go silly around girls! He also directly addressed the reader which I loved.

Being trapped in your school by several feet of snow miles away from town is a terrifying idea. Their situation got gradually worse as the power went out, the heat went off, the snow blocked out the windows and finally, the roof began to collapse under feet of dense snow. While scary, it’s fascinating to think about how I’d react in that situation and I often got lost in my thoughts about what I’d do if I were Scotty or Pete or Krista.

While reading Trapped it struck me how nice it was to read a survival novel where the only threat to them was the world. There were no zombies, mutated animals or savage grown-ups hunting them down. In fact, the action was minimal and I really enjoyed that; it was refreshing.

Trapped was a really enjoying and rather refreshing survival novel that I’d recommend for those wanting to take a break from the rampaging zombies of most survival novels and the insanity of a girl’s brain.

A big thank you to ATOM for sending me a copy to review.

Sophie

Dystopian Challenge 2012

2011-12-26T00:01:00.013Z

My last challenge for 2012 is the Dystopia Challenge hosted by Bookish Ardour. I decided to give this one a go as I failed it this year! Here are the details from the sign-up post:

“What It’s All About

The Dystopia challenge is for those who love it and for those who have never tried it. From negative utopia to plain ol’ totalitarian, there’s much to love about Dystopia and many ways it can be written.

If you’re not sure what it is check out Diva Schuylers’s post and learn all about it, but for a quick run down think of unpleasant living situations, pure dystopia being when an entity or social force is involved, but you can think outside the circle with this one.

Here’s one of our Must Reads lists for some inspiration.

The Deets

· Running Dates: 1st of January – 31st of December 2012

· When Can I Sign Up: All the way up to the last two weeks of December 2012!

· Crossover Genres: Our Dystopia challenge also includes Post-Apocalypse and Ecotopia (environmentally dystopian).

· Mr Linky: To use the Mr Linky you’ll need to click on the graphic then enter your link. These will be updated and posted into this page every couple of weeks or so.

· Further Details: Crossover challenges are fine, you can change levels at any time, this is eBook, short story, and graphic novel friendly, and you don’t need a blog to join in (read further for details).

The How To

1. Choose Your Level: These are listed further down and you can change levels at any time.

2. Grab The Badge: Place it somewhere on your blog, profile, or in a signature where possible and link back (main page or this page, it’s up to you).

3. Sign Up Post: Create a post on your blog, in a group, or on a forum (only if allowed) to let others see what you’re aiming for (a predefined list of books is optional).

4. Link Up: Grab the direct URL to your sign up post, not your blog, click the Mr Linky graphic and enter your link!

5. Blogless? Don’t worry, you can sign up with your social network profile (YouTube,Twitter, GoodReads, Shelfari included), just make sure you link to your review list, shelf, tweet, or category. If you don’t have any of those feel free to comment!

Afterwards

1. Your Reviews: Reviewing is optional! But if you do review we’d love for you to share them by submitting them on the Review Page

2. Finished: When you’re done it’s completion post time and you can share these on the Completion Post page.

Challenge Levels

1. Asocial– Choose 5 books to read

2. Contagion – Choose 15 books to read

3. Soldier – Choose 30 books to read

4. Drone – Choose 50 books to read

5. Conditioned – Choose 75 books to read

6. Brainwashed – Choose anywhere between 76-135 books to read

7. Totalitarian – Choose anywhere between 136-200 books to read

Extra Challenges

If you feel like that extra kick to your reading challenges here’s several you can choose from.

· World: Choose a country as your theme, reading only books from that country or where it’s the setting. For how high you go you can choose more than one country;

· Level Asocial to Soldier: Choose one country

· Level Soldier to Conditioned: Choose two countries

· Level Conditioned to end of Brainwashed: Choose three countries

· Level Totalitarian: Choose four countries.

· Gender Battle: Read books only by female or male authors. Another alternative is to read equal amounts of both.”

I am going to enter at Contagion level and so I intend to read 15 books. I have a few already lined up that I’m dying to get stuck into, but I’ll just add to the list when I read them.

1. Cinder, Marissa Meyer

2. Insurgent, Veronica Roth

3. Shadows, Ilsa J Bick

4. Rebel Heart, Moira Young

5. Pure, Julianna Baggot

6. The Other Life, Suzanne Winnacker

Wish me luck!

Sophie

The Vampire Stalker - Alliso van Diepen

2011-12-22T00:01:00.001Z

The Vampire Stalker – Allison van Diepen

Pages: 250

Publisher: Scholastic

Release Date: 3^rd November 2011

Other Titles by this Author: The Oracle of Dating, The Oracle of Rebound, Street Pharm, Stitch, Raven

Amy is in love with Alexander Banks. In fact, she’s obsessed with him. He’s brooding and handsome. He hunts vampires.

He’s perfect.

The only problem is, Alexander doesn’t exist. He’s a character in a book.

But, what if he showed up one day? What if he were somehow real?

The idea behind The Vampire Stalker is a brilliant one; I just wish it had been executed a little better.

There’s not a single reader out there who hasn’t fallen so head over heels in love with a book character that they wished they would appear on their doorstep: I know my list is scarily long... And that’s exactly what happens to Amy. I love how Allison van Diepen explains Alexander’s presence in Amy’s Chicago; it’s brilliant and easily my favourite aspect of The Vampire Stalker. However, I do think that it could have been made better use of; I honestly don't believe that it was used to its full potential.

With such a good idea, I expected the characters to hold up to serious scrutiny, but they didn’t really make the cut. I mean, I still enjoyed The Vampire Stalker, I just don’t think I could aspire to it or recommend it without explaining that the characters are rather superficial and aren’t explored as fully as they could be. Alexander was a standard dark, gorgeous and troubled vampire hunter, Amy was the typical not popular, not unpopular, secretly beautiful girl with a trademark burgeoning mean girl for a little sister. It was all a little stereotypical to me. And then there was the very cliché insta-love between Alexander and Amy – it was just SO quick and SO all-consuming that I couldn’t take it seriously.

Although I haven’t been particularly complimentary about The Vampire Stalker, it’s a quick, fun read that’ll quickly kill a few rainy hours.

Sophie

2012 Historical YA Reading Challenge

2011-12-20T14:57:00.000Z

I really enjoyed taking part in this challenge hosted by YA Bliss this year and I completed it as well so I thought I’d give it another go next year.

Here’s what you need to know about the challenge:

“Level 1: 5 books

Level 2: 10 books

Level 3: 15 books

Rules:

· All Historical Fiction books must be YA or MG

· Books don't have to be 2012 releases.

· Anyone can join. Please link to a public (web) place I can find you.

· You can join at anytime. The challenge runs from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012”

As I read 8 historical YA novels this year, I’m going to aim for 10 next year and go for Level 2. There are only a couple of books that I specifically have in mind for this challenge at the moment so I’ll add to this list as I read them.

1. The Lucky Ones, Anna Godbersen

2. Vixen, Jillian Larkin

Wish me luck!

Sophie