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Category: Young Adult

Review: Laddertop, Volume 1 by Orson Scott Card & Emily Janice Card

[ 2 ] December 4, 2011

Reviewed by Caleb Shadis

Laddertop, Volume 1 is, as the title suggests, the first book in the Laddertop series and I certainly hope not the last. This is a young adult graphic novel. I was a little leery at first partly because I was afraid the graphics would be focused on young girls. After all, the main characters are, in fact, young girls. I’m happy to say that while Laddertop is about these kids, it’s not a just a story about being a young girl.

While reading Laddertop, I felt echoes of Ender’s Game; there was the brush with a mostly unknown extra-terrestial culture; military personnel training children for a job; most people unaware of what is really going on. There was also the feel of Gunnerkrigg Court, another graphic novel about a girl going away to school where mysteries abound.

Twenty five years ago, the ‘givers’ came and shared their technology, including instructions for towers or elevators that extend 36,000 miles into space. These towers provide power to Earth, make it easier to put things into orbit and bring materials back from asteroids. The ladders were designed in such a way that using children for the repair work was found to be most efficient. Therefore, children have grown up competing to be chosen for the job.

Laddertop, Volume 1 is primarily about Robbi and her trials on her way to Laddertop; it stops shortly after. This book is really just to prime the pump, if you will. It is all setup and much explaining is left for future volumes.

I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would and look forward to the next installment. I need a couple more books before I can tell if the series are going to be great, but it certainly shows promise.

Rating: 4/5

Caleb is a software engineer and amature woodworker living in southern Minnesota. He has more hobbies than he has time or money for, and enjoys his quiet time reading.

The review copy of this book was provided free of any obligation by Tor/Seven Seas. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Don’t Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala

[ 4 ] November 29, 2011

Reviewed by Grace Soledad

Don’t Breathe a Word is the gripping story of a teenage runaway. Joy is tired of being suffocated by her parents and her boyfriend. Due to her intense asthma, her parents hover around her, terrified that if they leave her alone, she could have an attack. Asher, her boyfriend, is abusive. Controlling and not above blackmail, he lets his jealousy taint his decisions.

When Asher goes too far, Joy can’t take it anymore. She sets a trail in her room, making it look like she was kidnapped, and runs away to Seattle. In Seattle, she looks for a boy who witnessed Asher’s possessive nature. She is counting on the fact that he offered her help if she ever needed any.

On the streets, Joy learns to survive. Changing her name to “Triste”, she goes on a hunt for the boy. When they meet, everything falls into place. Joy finally has a family, a way of surviving, freedom. She learns how to find her way on the streets and avoid detection.

When her past threatens to catch up with her, Joy has to figure out how to keep her worlds from colliding, and how far she will go to keep things the way they are.

Don’t Breathe a Word left me breathless. Holly Cupala’s writing was seemingly effortless, beautiful and broken at the same time. She perfectly conveyed the hard life of a runaway, the lingering afteraffects of abuse, and the connections of family in this great novel. By “family”, I mean the ragtag group of runaways that Joy finds herself tethered to. Each is different, ran away for a different reason, and does their part to contribute to the group. As they take her under their wing, Joy discovers both the good and the bad of the streets.

Don’t Breathe a Word was the perfect combination of humor, raw emotions and romance. Cupala’s definitely knows how to play with the readers’ heartstrings and reluctant, as well as seasoned YA readers, are likely to love this book.

Rating: 5/5

Grace Soledad is a teenage bibliophile who runs the blog Words Like Silver. She is described as “antisocial” because she constantly has her nose buried in a book or a notebook. When not reading, she can be found dancing, writing, or at the beach.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by HarperTeen. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

[ 7 ] November 27, 2011

Reviewed by Elizabeth Talbott

Lochan and Maya are siblings that have been forced to become the heads of their household following their parents’ divorce. Their mother’s neverending quest to reclaim her youth through irresponsible and immature behavior does not help the matters either. They act as parents to their younger siblings, feeding them, caring for them, and even forcing their mother to give them money for necessities. Their biggest nightmare is child protective services coming in and splitting up their family, so they work hard to make everything appear normal, despite their lives spinning out of control.

As a result of their situation, Lochan and Maya become extremely close and the friendship they had as children slowly evolves into a forbidden romantic love. Lochan and Maya grapple with their feelings and must decide if their relationship is worth risking everything they’ve worked for.

I have to be frank: Forbidden is about incest. I was initially pretty shocked that an author of young adult fiction would be brave enough to write a book like this. I assumed that people would hate it and be shocked and disgusted, but the general consensus seems to be quite the opposite.

I would characterize Forbidden as a more coherent, better written version of Flowers in the Attic (see our review). That was my first encounter with incestuous relationships in literature and I was surprised that throughout that series, I really wanted Cathy and Christopher to be together. There are many similarities between the two works (abusive mother, parenting siblings, worrying over separating their family), but Tabitha Suzuma infuses her story with much more realistic situations and emotions. My heart broke for Lochan, Maya, and their siblings. Nobody should have to suffer as they did, struggling to get the basics of life while their mother squandered their money on clothes, drinks, and presents for herself. The bright light for Maya and Lochan, as well as the readers, is their budding romance.

Incest is taboo in most societies and most of us wouldn’t hesitate to call it disgusting, but Suzuma made Maya and Lochan’s relationship organic and like any other romance. Of course, they were fraught with guilt and tried to push each other away in an effort to uphold the values of their society. The chapters were alternately narrated by Maya and Lochan, which gave insight to their inner thoughts and conflicts. This aspect was essential in making the subject matter believable and palatable.

Forbidden is a very fast read that grabbed my heartstrings and took me on an emotional and complex journey. I would recommend it to those not afraid to put aside their own feelings on the subject matter.

Rating: 5/5

Elizabeth is a student at Cal State Long Beach. She laughs a lot, loves cats, and lives for music and books. You can read her blog here: http://titania86-fishmuffins.blogspot.com/.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Simon Pulse. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: First Day on Earth by Cecil Castellucci

[ 2 ] November 27, 2011

Reviewed by Melanie Kline

Mal is a loner. He doesn’t seem to fit in with anyone in his high school. He has not been close with his mother since she became an alcoholic when their father left them. The only time he has any “real” contact with people is during the weekly Alateen meetings he attends.

Mal believes that he was abducted by aliens, poked, prodded, tested and returned to Earth and that his abduction makes him different from everyone else. He spends his days and nights blocking out the people around him and wondering why the aliens don’t come back for him again. He dreams of the aliens taking him away from his life – that he dislikes so much – and allowing him to remain with them.

One night, during his weekly Alateen meeting, Mal realizes that somehow the meeting has transformed into a meeting of people who all believe that they have been abducted by aliens. He begins to pay attention, not only to the stories, but also to a fellow meeting attendee named Hooper.

In Hooper, Mal finds the courage to ask questions about why he was taken and why they don’t come back for him. Hooper and Mal learn much from each other and in an unexpected twist, Mal finds himself in the position to finally leave Earth if he so chooses.

First Day on Earth is an interesting read although the story feels distant. It is straight to the point without any side stories or over descriptiveness. This makes it difficult to relate to the characters although the gist of the story comes through perfectly.

Rating: 3/5

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Scholastic Press. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Rites and Wrongs of Janice Wills by Joanna Pearson

[ 2 ] November 25, 2011

Reviewed by Megan Saldecki

Janice Wills has a knack for anthropology. She likes to observe her class mates anthropologically as they socialize and survive high school.

Her and her best friend Margo are Unremarkable Smart Girls. Faced with the annual Miss Livermush Pageant, they each feel self-conscious and nervous about the expectation of entering the sort of rite of passage for sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds in Melva, North Carolina. That is, until Margo gives herself a makeover and is suddenly the talk of their classmates.

Janice then decides to enter the pageant for anthropological research reasons and is overwhelmed with juggling her friendship with Margo, the impending Miss Livermush Pageant, her anthropological research, and the new thought of boys. Two specific boys as a matter of fact. Jimmy Denton, the very Hot Theatre Guy and Paul, Janice’s sweet and funny friend who changes his hobby as often as his underwear.

The Rites and Wrongs of Janice Wills is the story of Janice suddenly becoming part of the culture she always watched from the sidelines.

I found Janice Wills to be an enjoyable read and felt that Janice was the epitome of an awkward girl coming to terms with herself, and finally seeing herself as pretty. She also really came to terms with how she treated people. She used to study her high school from the sidelines, always quick to point out a person’s flaws and used her anthropological research as an excuse for why she did this. The rest of the characters in the novel really helped her see that she did it as a coping mechanism for her self-consciousness and helped her see how mean her tactics were.

I can really relate to that, as I am very hypercritical, as Janice was described, and have been told by several people that I am. For me, it is indeed a coping mechanism for being so self-conscious. I am always fearing people are talking about me behind my back, so to help take control over that fear, I point out ones’ flaws to make myself feel better. Seeing Janice come to terms with herself and her body really brought me hope that I can do the same.

The plot and writing of Janice Wills was simple and in a way, that was actually nice. It wasn’t too deep or complicated and everything got wrapped up in one quick swoop. This could be either a good or bad thing, depending on the type of book you are looking for.

I would recommend Janice Wills to anyone that just wants a quick and light read, free of a complicated plot.

Rating: 3.5/5

Meghan is a 18-year-old book blogger. She likes to read and write in her spare time and would like to become a published author one day. She plans on going to college soon.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Arthur A. Levine Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Hooked by Catherine Greenman

[ 4 ] November 20, 2011

Reviewed by Grace Soledad

Thea is a junior in high school and she’s ready to grow up and move on with her life. She can barely tolerate weekends with her father, and her mother (ex-nightclub-owner Fiona) doesn’t even seem to care about her. Then she meets Will during a fire drill.

Will is the perfect boy. He just gets Thea, and like her, he’s so over high school. The relationship gets very serious very fast; first are the kisses, and the touching, and then one night, they start having sex. While visiting her father, Thea forgets to take her pill. Then Thea discovers the unthinkable: she’s pregnant. Thoughts of abortion and morals fly through her head and she wonders if she’ll be able to do the right thing. By the time she gathers up the strength to go through with it, it’s too late.

Thea is going to have a baby. Her relationship with Will becomes strained; embarrassment over being a teenage mother follows her everywhere; the shame of telling her parents is unbearable. Everything has changed because of a few nights when her parents were out of town.

Hooked follows Thea, Will, and the people around them through the ups and downs of pregnancy. It explores the struggles of having a child when you’re only just a child yourself.

As interesting as the premise was, I just didn’t like it. Most of my distaste arose because of the characters.

Thea was completely unbelievable. She had no common sense whatsoever and I had the feeling that the author just made her dumb so that she had an excuse to explain what happened. Thea seemed relatable in the beginning, but towards the middle of the book, around the time she became sexually active, I just couldn’t stand her. Will was likable enough but I just didn’t see the chemistry between him and Thea.

The worst characters by far were the parents. A trend in young adult fiction seems to be the parents having nothing to do with their children’s lives, but this was a whole new level of discomfort. Fiona, Thea’s mom, encouraged her daughter’s sexual activity, and “told Thea about her various escapades in the nightclub” when she was really young.

Another thing that made Hooked irritating to read was that it wasn’t very well edited. The text was extremely close together, and paragraphs went on for the entire page. I wish that somebody had caught the various typos scattered through the book.

Teenager pregnancy was an excellent topic for a book, but it was executed poorly and the characters fell flat.

Rating: 1/5

Grace Soledad is a teenage bibliophile who runs the blog Words Like Silver. She is described as “antisocial” because she constantly has her nose buried in a book or a notebook. When not reading, she can be found dancing, writing, or at the beach. 

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Tandem Literary. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Cleopatra’s Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter

[ 3 ] November 18, 2011

Reviewed by Grace Soledad

Cleopatra’s Moon is not the type of book that you will normally find in young adult literature. While most books focus on a smaller viewpoint, Cleopatra’s Moon draws in on a larger perspective. It deals with politics, intrigue, death, suspense, and the darkest bits of history. While still incredibly intriguing to a young adult audience, most adult readers will be satisfied by this novel as well.

Cleopatra Selene has been raised in luxury. While primped by palace servants, she also has a deeper insight into the roiling confusion of politics in Egypt and conflict with Rome. She is preparing to help rule Egypt alongside her brother when they are both old enough to take the throne.

What Selene doesn’t expect is a war. Her mother is killed and her father commits suicide. Egypt is thrown into chaos, and the Romans control the government.

Octavianus decides to take the children back to Rome, because they can do far worse things in Egypt, where many people are still loyal to them. Treated awfully in Rome, Selene and her brother vow to try to escape from the fates that the Roman Empire has dangling over their heads.

Cleopatra’s Moon follows Selene through one of the darkest times in Egyptian history, showcasing the emotional and political consequences of the Roman takeover, and chronicling their time as prisoners of Rome. It didn’t focus on boring facts and figures, which would turn off most young adults, but on the powerful imagery accompanying them.

To begin with, I adored Selene’s character. The book spanned months and years into her life and I got to truly see her grow in her later years when faced with the troubles thrown at her. The supporting characters were brilliant as well, but the true star was the protagonist.

Vicky Alvear Shecter’s writing was smart, mature, and polished. Shecter made the topic engaging to a teen audience while still appealing to a wider range by subtly infusing history into a clever story.

Cleopatra’s Moon is truly a standout novel and was a source of wonder for the time I sat – spellbound – absorbing the story.

Rating: 5/5

Check out our reviews of other books featuring Cleopatra Selene:

Song of the Nile by Stephanie Dray

Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran

Grace Soledad is a teenage bibliophile who runs the blog Words Like Silver. She is described as “antisocial” because she constantly has her nose buried in a book or a notebook. When not reading, she can be found dancing, writing, or at the beach. 

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Arthur A. Levine Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

[ 3 ] November 15, 2011

Reviewed by Jennifer Jensen

Cas is a teenage ghost killer, and his latest tip lands him and his white witch mother and their ghost sensing cat Tybalt in a Canadian town called Thunder Bay. Cas and his mother never stay anywhere long enough for Cas to make friends, but Thunder Bay is proving to be different in several ways. Thomas can read minds, and for once Cas can confide in someone who won’t think he’s crazy–if he just lets someone in.

But Cas has only one thing on his mind, the ghost he has come for, Anna Dressed in Blood. Anna Korlov was killed in 1958, and haunts her childhood home. No one who steps over the threshold of her door leaves the house alive–except for Cas. Anna isn’t like any other ghost that Cas has ever hunted, and Cas cannot explain his hesitation for not running her through with his athame. Instead, he does something unexpected, and once again Anna becomes the suspect in a series of gruesome murders that take place outside of her haunting ground.

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake is a creepy ghost story filled with one twist after the next. It’s unlike anything that I have read before featuring ghosts for a young adult audience, and I loved it. I’m used to reading paranormal books told from a teenage female’s perspective, but this one is from a male’s point of view. It also contains some stronger language than I’m used to seeing, but it’s used sparingly and it only makes Cas more believable as a character.

I loved all of the supporting characters as well, especially Thomas and Anna. I went back and forth on Carmel, the Queen Bee of Cas’s new school. For fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she is a much nicer version of Cordelia Chase.

Kendare Blake’s words will keep you up into the wee hours of the night, and will make you scream for more. You may even find yourself sleeping with the lights on…

Rating: 4.5/5

Jennifer graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She occasionally dabbles with her own fiction writing, particularly with the Young Adult and Paranormal genres. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and daughter.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Tor Teen. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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